Pasta C'anciova e Muddica

Pasta with anchovies and breadcrumbs is a rustic Sicilian preparation which relies on humble ingredients. Despite containing no meat, this is an incredibly savory pasta dish, as it contains two umami powerhouses—anchovies and tomatoes. The European anchovy [1] has been fished in the Mediterranean since ancient times, and was long a staple of Sicilian diets.[2] Like many Italian pasta dishes, the first incarnations of this dish did not contain tomatoes. It was not until the 17th century that tomatoes began appearing in recipes in Southern Italy. Today, versions of anchovy pasta found in Western Sicily will often feature tomatoes, while versions found in Eastern Sicily generally don’t.

Ingredients

½ lb spaghetti or bucatini
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 oz anchovy fillets
½ tsp crushed red pepper
5 oz cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 cup breadcrumbs
Salt to taste

Begin by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the water comes to a boil, add half a pound of spaghetti or bucatini to the pot and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. For most spaghettis, this should take about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a pan over low heat. Add the thinly sliced garlic, anchovy fillets, and crushed red pepper to the pan. Fry until fragrant, about 1 minute. Be sure to keep the heat low—if the pan is too hot the anchovies can spit as their water content boils off. Canned or cured anchovies act as a seasoning, easily dissolving into the sauce. You can help this process along by breaking the fillets up with your spatula, until they form a paste.

Then add the halved cherry tomatoes to the pan. We don’t want to break down these tomatoes, just warm them through. Toss the tomatoes in the olive oil for about 1 minute, then remove from heat and set the sauce aside.

Next up are the breadcrumbs. Toasting the breadcrumbs to make them crispy will add texture to the dish, and will also help the dish soak up more of the sauce. In a second clean pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs to the pan and toast them, stirring occasionally, until they are golden brown and crisp. Stir in the chopped parsley, remove the breadcrumb mixture from the heat, and set aside.

By the time the breadcrumbs are done, the pasta should almost be ready. When the pasta is al dente, drain it and add it to the anchovy and tomato sauce. Return this pan to low heat and toss the pasta in the sauce until well coated. Then add half the breadcrumbs to the pasta, mixing them into the sauce. Season to taste with salt, remembering that the anchovies will already be salty. Then plate the pasta and top with the remaining crispy breadcrumbs. Serve immediately.

Substitutions

The robust flavors of this sauce play well with the nutty flavors of whole wheat pasta. If you do not have fresh tomatoes available, you can add some canned tomato to the sauce instead. You can substitute the crushed red pepper for a fresh chili if so desired.

[1] The European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) is native to the Mediterranean Sea and littoral Eastern Atlantic Ocean. It is one of six commercially fished anchovy species—the others are the Californian anchovy, Japanese anchovy, Southern African anchovy, Argentine anchoita, and Peruvian anchoveta.

[2] The European anchovy was fished extensively by the Ancient Greeks, and was one of the ingredients in garum, the Ancient Roman fish sauce.

Recipe

Prep Time: 5 min Cook Time: 10 min Total Time: 15 min

Difficulty: 2/5

Heat Sources: 3 burners

Equipment: 2 pans, large pot

Servings: 2

Ingredients

½ lb spaghetti or bucatini
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 oz anchovy fillets
½ tsp crushed red pepper
5 oz cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 cup breadcrumbs
Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente, about 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan over low heat. Add the sliced garlic, anchovy fillets, and crushed red pepper to the pan. Fry until fragrant, about 1 minute, breaking up the anchovy fillets until they form a paste.

3. Add the halved cherry tomatoes to the pan and toss in the olive oil until the tomatoes have softened slightly, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and set aside.

4. In a second clean pan, heat the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs to the pan and toast, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Stir the chopped parsley into the breadcrumbs, remove from the heat, and set aside.

5. When the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it to the pan with the tomato and anchovy sauce. Toss to coat the pasta in the sauce.

6. Add half of the breadcrumb mixture to the pasta, mixing the breadcrumbs into the sauce. Season to taste with salt.

7. Plate the pasta, top with the remaining breadcrumbs, and serve immediately.