There’s something about Spaghetti with Breadcrumbs that feels so wonderfully Italian in the most old-school-touch-of-glamour, dolce vita kind of way. Think grandma’s kitchen, but grandma insisted on having her hair done and putting on a nice dress before getting around to putting dinner on the table.
Origins of Toasted Breadcrumbs on Pasta
Toasted breadcrumbs used to be a cheap substitute for emulating the flavor and texture of grated cheese when times were tight.
But today, canisters of pre-grated parm abound, making the addition of a handful of crunchy, oily breadcrumbs feel surprisingly decadent. I think there’s something about the unexpected quality of it––the need to break up the breadcrumbs and carefully brown them––that makes it feel extra special.
A Tasty Mix of Strong Flavors
So what other flavors does spaghetti with breadcrumbs call for? Anchovies. I made this spaghetti recipe with a whole can of anchovies, including the oil, and my dad said it *still* wasn’t enough for his liking.
Complemented by plenty of briny salty capers, lots of garlic, a little crushed red pepper flake, lemon zest, and a fistful of parmigiano sprinkled over the top?
Well, let’s just say this spaghetti with breadcrumbs went fast, and I did my food happy dance while eating this (happy dance = when I am so happy with how my food turns out that I sway in the dinner table chair, eyes closed of course).
There’s no better feeling than inspiring this kind of spaghetti-fueled glee for your friends and family. Make this! I bet it will become a part of your everyday repertoire.
Here’s how to make it!
Spaghetti with Breadcrumbs & Anchovies: Recipe Instructions
Take some stale bread and grind it in a food processor until you have 2 cups of coarse breadcrumbs. I used 3 old brioche buns we had in the freezer, and they worked great.
Next, in a skillet, heat 1/2 cup of olive oil over medium low heat. Add the breadcrumbs, and stir to combine.
Let them toast lightly, watching them carefully. They should get quite darkly toasted; you want them to be crunchy. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Boil the pasta in salted water per package instructions until al dente.
While that’s happening, heat another ¼ cup of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add 1 head of minced garlic, and let caramelize.
Next, add 1 can of anchovies along with the oil (2 cans if you are an anchovy head) and use a wooden spoon to break them up until you have something resembling a coarse paste.
Add ½ cup of capers and cook for 1 minute.
Add the cooked pasta to the mixture along with the black pepper, red chili flakes, parsley, and lemon zest. (If you like a spicier pasta, add the chili flakes to the oil before you add the pasta and let it infuse the oil.)
Toss the pasta together, and then quickly toss in the breadcrumbs.
Serve immediately with grated parmesan cheese.
The true anchovy heads in our family tell me that having some to serve on the side would also be appreciated.
Looking for more pasta? Also try these popular Woks of Life pasta recipes:
Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta Puttanesca
Soy Sauce Butter Pasta with Shrimp & Shiitakes
Spaghetti with Breadcrumbs & Anchovies
Ingredients
- 2 cups breadcrumbs (homemade very much preferred!)
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (180ml, divided into ½ cup + ¼ cup or 120 ml +60 ml)
- 1 pound dried thin spaghetti or angel hair (450g)
- 1 head of garlic (minced)
- 2 oz. anchovies (or to taste)
- ½ cup capers (roughly chopped, if you’re using more anchovies, you may want to use fewer capers, or the dish may be too salty)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
- 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
- 1 cup fresh parsley (finely chopped)
- The zest of one lemon
- Grated parmesan cheese (to serve)
Instructions
- Take some stale bread and grind it in a food processor until you have 2 cups of coarse breadcrumbs.
- Next, in a skillet, heat 1/2 cup of olive oil over medium low heat. Add the breadcrumbs, and stir to combine. Let them toast lightly, watching them carefully. They should get quite darkly toasted; you want them to be crunchy. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Boil the pasta in salted water per package instructions until al dente.
- While that’s happening, heat another ¼ cup of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add 1 head of minced garlic, and let caramelize. Next, add 1 can of anchovies along with the oil (2 cans if you are an anchovy head) and use a wooden spoon to break them up until you have something resembling a coarse paste.
- Add ½ cup of capers and cook for 1 minute. Add the cooked pasta to the mixture along with the black pepper, red chili flakes, parsley, and lemon zest. (If you like a spicier pasta, add the chili flakes to the oil before you add the pasta and let it infuse the oil.) Toss the pasta together, and then quickly toss in the breadcrumbs.
- Serve immediately with grated parmesan cheese.
nutrition facts
My friend’s toddler who is infamous for being a picky eater was all over this! She slurped it all up and proclaimed i do the best cooking! I very rarely cook and this was so easy to follow. Thank you!
Awesome!!! She has good taste. Anchovies for toddlers, who knew?
Delicious! Added a few jumbo shrimp (because I had some) – meshed them in the pan; no lemon so squeezed juice of 1/2 lime; added a tsp of butter (because I had some) at the end. Great recipe!!
I ask Kaitlin to make this for me all the time––I love it so much!
Is it 1/2 cup olive oil in total, or 3/4 cup? The ingredients list calls for 1/4 + 1/4 cups, but the instructions say 1/2 cup to cook the breadcrumbs, and 1/4 cup for the garlic? That’s a LOT of olive oil!!
This looks amazing, BTW, and I will be trying it very soon!!
Oops good catch, Debbie. The breadcrumbs slurp up a lot of oil, promise the end result is excellent! We’ll edit the recipe. :)
I missed a step – do you put the breadcrumbs back in with the chllie and black pepper?
Love it and will be cooking!
Hey Lorelle, the breadcrumbs go in at the very end when the rest of the pasta is assembled. Enjoy!
This looks so fabulous. I do many variations of pasta – usually with whatever i have on hand – but have never used breadcrumbs like this! :P I was thinking the other day, before I read this, about some kind of toasted ground walnuts on pasta – and i think they might fit in well mixed with the breadcrumbs and toasted! I am an uber anchovy head. I will get two cans. Can’t wait! thanks for all you do for us!
That sounds like a positively delicious addition, Toni Jean :)
This looks marvelous! I’ll be making just for two so maybe I’ll just make half and we can have a lot.
Sounds like a plan, Pamela :)
Can I use panko instead?
In Japan, they have fresh “pinko” as well, it’s soft…..
I meant “panko”. Sorry, Siri got me!
I was just talking to someone this weekend about trying it with panko! I think it could work great. :)
Been enjoying this dish on and off for decades. It’s often referred to in Italy as “Spaghetti With Sand”.
Thank you for posting this recipe.
Thank you for reading this recipe! :)
OMG!!
:D