Spaghetti with Anchovies and Breadcrumbs

Method9 steps · about 25 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Fill a large pot with pasta water and bring it to a boil. Salt it lightly, since the anchovies will season the sauce.

   Uses Water for boiling spaghetti · Salt for pasta water

2. 2

   Step 2: While the pasta water heats, warm 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a wide frying pan. Add all 3 peeled whole garlic cloves and cook gently for about 2 minutes, until fragrant and sizzling; keep them from burning.

   Sizzle garlic · 2 minUses 2 tbsp olive oil for the sauce · 3 peeled whole garlic cloves

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Add all the drained anchovy fillets (40 g) to the garlic and oil from step 2.

   Uses Garlic and oil from step 2 · 40 g drained anchovy fillets

4. 4

   Step 4: Add 2 tbsp of hot water from the pasta pot to the anchovy mixture from step 3. Stir over gentle heat for about 5 minutes, breaking up the fillets until they dissolve into the sauce.

   Dissolve anchovies · 5 minUses Anchovy mixture from step 3 · 2 tbsp hot water from the pot in step 1

5. 5

   Step 5: In a separate pan, heat the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil. Add all 80 g breadcrumbs and stir continuously until golden and crisp. Take them off the heat and reserve them for mixing into the pasta and sprinkling over the plates.

   Uses Remaining 2 tbsp olive oil for the crumbs · 80 g breadcrumbs

   
6. 6

   Step 6: Add all 350 g uncooked spaghetti to the boiling water from step 1 and cook for 5 minutes. Keep the pasta cooking water in the pot. Remove and discard the whole garlic cloves from the anchovy sauce in step 4, then lift the partly cooked spaghetti directly into that sauce.

   Initial spaghetti boil · 5 minUses Boiling lightly salted water from step 1 · 350 g uncooked spaghetti · Anchovy sauce from step 4

   
7. 7

   Step 7: Add ½ cup of the reserved pasta cooking water to the spaghetti and anchovy sauce from step 6. Toss and cook for about another 5 minutes, until the pasta is al dente. Add more cooking water a little at a time if the pan becomes dry, and continue cooking if needed for your spaghetti.

   Finish spaghetti in sauce · 5 minUses All partly cooked spaghetti and sauce from step 6 · ½ cup pasta cooking water from step 6 · More reserved pasta cooking water, if needed

   
8. 8

   Step 8: When the spaghetti from step 7 is al dente, turn off the heat. Mix in some of the toasted breadcrumbs from step 5, keeping the rest for the plates. If the pasta becomes too dry, loosen it with a little reserved pasta cooking water.

   Uses All cooked spaghetti and sauce from step 7 · Some toasted breadcrumbs from step 5 · A little reserved pasta cooking water, if needed

   
9. 9

   Step 9: Divide the finished spaghetti from step 8 between 4 plates. Sprinkle over the remaining toasted breadcrumbs from step 5 and serve immediately while the crumbs are crisp.

   Uses All finished spaghetti from step 8 · Remaining toasted breadcrumbs from step 5