Featured Recipe
Spaghetti with Anchovies and Crunch
By Kate
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Spaghetti cooked al dente tossed with garlic, anchovies, spicy crushed red pepper, black and green olives, finished with toasted bread crumbs and aged pecorino. Olive oil based sauce gently coats pasta, anchovies dissolve adding umami depth. Crunch from pangrattato adds texture contrast. Quick pan work, attentive stirring. Simple, robust, straightforward Mediterranean punch. Swap parmigiano for pecorino for sharper edge. Bread crumbs provide intense crunch, toasted until nutty but not burnt. Quick, practical, no fuss. A meal highlighting tonal balance and textural tension.
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Prep:
17 min
Cook:
13 min
Total:
30 min
Serves:
4 servings
pasta
Mediterranean
quick meal
garlic
umami
Introduction
Don’t overthink. Pasta al dente. That bite-where-it-resists moment. Garlic slowly softens, anchovy fillets melt into a salty pasture, spicy flakes crackle and fill the air. Olives chunked up, add bright punch — bitter, salty, oily. Bread crumbs toasted to a golden crisp add crunch, textural rebellion. Pecorino grated sharpens the harmony, a final flourish. No cream, no butter. Just oil and purposeful salt. Balance is delicate—anchovies carry lots of salt, olives too. Let the oil work as medium, marrying flavors. Do not drown the pan or mask ingredients. Keep it tight; keep it simple. Timing matters. Burnt garlic ruins everything. Watch. Listen. Smell. Cooking is all senses here — the popping sizzle, the fragrant garlicky air, the shiny pasta strands. A lesson in restraint and presence.
Ingredients
About the ingredients
Spaghetti should be good quality semolina wheat pasta. Avoid pre-cooked or thin spaghetti. Fresh garlic minced finely but not minced into paste preserves bits for texture and flavor bursts. Anchovies canned in oil recommended — better dissolved and not too salty. If you must, replace anchovies with miso paste for a different umami twist but reduce salt in dish. Crushed red pepper quantity adjustable to taste. Olives should be firm enough to hold shape and not too saturated in brine—mixed black and green adds complexity. Pecorino romano replaces parmigiano here: sharper, more assertive cheese. Toast stale white bread crumbs in olive oil slowly, stirring to get even color and that nutty aroma. Can substitute with gluten-free crumbs or crushed nuts for texture but changes flavor profile significantly. Olive oil quality matters—extra virgin cold-pressed preferred for aroma and flavor depth. Use a non-stick sauté pan or well-seasoned stainless steel to avoid burning garlic quickly. Plan timing so pasta finishes as sauce is ready to combine to prevent dryness or clumping.
Method
Technique Tips
Start water so it reaches full rolling boil by time prep completes—don’t rush. Salt water generously—it should taste like the sea—but careful with salt addition later because anchovies and olives carry significant salt naturally. Don’t wash drained pasta; residual starch helps sauce cling. Oil drizzle post-drain prevents sticky clumps. Anchovies need low and slow heat to dissolve without burning. Stir with wooden spoon or spatula to break them up evenly. Garlic should become translucent, not browned, or it turns bitter; watch closely especially on pan edges. Adding remaining oil after garlic and anchovies prevents sticking and dilutes intensity, smoothing flavors together. Adjust heat accordingly. Toss pasta vigorously to evenly coat strands; use reserved pasta water to create an emulsion—do not add too much or sauce will be watery. Taste for seasoning at this stage and adjust black pepper or chili flakes, but resist over salting. Serve immediately with cheese and pangrattato on top for maximum textural impact. Leftovers tend to dry out; reheat gently with splash of water or oil only if necessary. Bread crumbs can be stored toasted in airtight container and toasted again before use to revive crunch.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Salt water generously when boiling pasta. It should taste like the sea. Keep an eye on garlic to prevent bitterness. Toss spaghetti with tongs, not a spoon.
- 💡 The key to tender results: don’t rush cooking the anchovies. Low heat breaks them down smoothly. Adjust chili flakes if you like heat. Fresh garlic, minced lightly, pops more flavor.
- 💡 Pasta water acts as a magic sauce enhancer. Use gradually to create a silky coating. Often, more is less; don’t drown it. A touch of oil after draining keeps strands from sticking.
- 💡 For crunch, use stale bread crumbs. Not fresh. Toast them slowly in olive oil, stirring for even color. Perfect texture contrast adds interest. This can elevate even simple dishes.
- 💡 If you’re not into anchovies, try miso paste. Adjust added salt. Both add that umami punch. Pay attention to how flavors develop. Timing really matters in cooking.
