Anchovy Pasta With Capers and Garlic Breadcrumbs

This simple Italian pasta dish showcases some of Italy’s best ingredients. The salty capers and anchovies do all of the talking, matched with parsley and lemon to freshen the dish up. Top with Pecorino or Parmesan if you like, but this dish doesn’t require it. Serve as a mid-week family meal, or as a great weekend lunch served with a fresh salad, or even some garlic bread. Olives make a great addition to this dish too, preferably black olives to give contrast to the gleaming green capers.

Preparation: 20 minutes - Cooking: 10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy - Portions: 4-5 persons - Cost: Low 

Ingredients for 4-5 persons

• 4 garlic cloves
• 5 oz crusty bread, crust removed, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• Salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• ¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons (or more) Extra virgin olive oil
• 4 oil-packed Anchovy fillets
• ½ teaspoon Crushed Chiles, very finely chopped
• ¼ cup Capers
• 1 tablespoon (or more) fresh lemon juice
• 12 oz Spaghetti or Linguine
• 2 oz finely grated Pecorino or Parmesan
• ½ cup finely chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 
• ½ cup of Black olives

How to make Anchovy Pasta With Capers and Garlic Breadcrumbs

Very thinly slice 2 garlic cloves (a mandoline works great) and set aside. Pulse remaining 2 garlic cloves in a food processor until finely chopped. Add bread and lemon zest and pulse until coarse crumbs form; season with salt and pepper.

Heat ¼ cup oil in a large heavy pot over medium. Cook breadcrumb mixture, stirring often, until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer breadcrumb mixture with a slotted spoon to a small bowl.

Heat remaining 3 Tbsp. oil in same pot over medium-low. Cook reserved sliced garlic, stirring occasionally, until golden at edges, about 1 minute. Add anchovies, capers, chiles and cook, stirring, until anchovies are dissolved, about 1 minute. Stir in lemon juice.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very “al dente”, about 3 minutes less than package directions.

Using tongs, transfer pasta to pot with sauce along with 1 cup of the water that the pasta cooked in (or pasta cooking liquid). Cook, tossing often, until pasta is "al dente". Add 3 Tbsp. pasta cooking liquid, then gradually add cheese, tossing until melted and emulsified. Remove from heat, add parsley, butter, and half of breadcrumb mixture and toss until combined and butter is melted. If pasta seems dry, add more pasta cooking liquid and oil and toss again. Season with salt and pepper, crushed chiles and more lemon juice if desired.

Divide pasta among bowls. Top with remaining breadcrumb mixture and add some black olives if you like! 

 

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