Spaghetti with Breadcrumbs and Anchovies

🛒 Ingredients

• 320g Durum wheat spaghetti
• 80g (about 10-12 fillets) Anchovy fillets in olive oil (from canned product)
• 80g Breadcrumbs (stale bread crumbs)
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 80ml Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small Fresh or dried chili pepper
• 20g (1 bunch) Fresh parsley
• 20g Coarse salt for pasta water

👨‍🍳 Istruzioni

1. Step 1: In a non-stick pan, heat 20ml of extra virgin olive oil. Add the breadcrumbs and toast them over medium heat, stirring continuously, until golden and crispy. Set aside the toasted breadcrumbs.
2. Step 2: In the same pan (or another larger one), pour in the remaining 60ml of extra virgin olive oil. Add the peeled and lightly crushed garlic cloves and the chili pepper (whole or chopped, depending on the desired level of spiciness). Sauté over low heat for 2-3 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic.
3. Step 3: Add the anchovy fillets drained from their oil (a small part of the anchovy oil can be added if a more intense flavor is desired). With a wooden spatula, mash the anchovies and let them dissolve in the hot oil until a creamy sauce is formed. Remove the garlic cloves.
4. Step 4: Nel frattempo, porta a ebollizione una generosa quantità di acqua salata (2 litri d'acqua con 20g di sale grosso) e cuoci gli spaghetti seguendo le istruzioni sulla confezione, fino a quando saranno al dente.
5. Step 5: Drain the spaghetti directly into the pan with the anchovy sauce. Add half of the finely chopped fresh parsley. Sauté the pasta for a couple of minutes over high heat, stirring well to combine all the flavors. If necessary, add a tablespoon of pasta cooking water to make the sauce creamier.
6. Step 6: Serve the spaghetti immediately, sprinkling each plate with plenty of toasted breadcrumbs and the remaining fresh chopped parsley.

💡 Chef's Tips

• For more flavorful breadcrumbs, you can use stale bread grated at the moment instead of pre-packaged ones.
• Do not overdo the salt in the sauce, as anchovies are already very salty.
• A final touch can be a drizzle of raw olive oil before serving.