pasta + anchovied breadcrumbs

its hard to fight stinky fish stereo-types. but fight them i must. i bought a tin and had it on the table next to a pound of spaghetti in preparation for cooking when my italian from italy friend rosa came over and said “i'm making the same thing for dinner”. this is good news. great news. i feel so authentic. and the results? outstanding. look out stereo-types, here i come.

the breadcrumbs add a really cool texture to the pasta, even reheated over the next few days, and coming from a leftover snob, that’s saying something. when i make this again, i will go heavier on the anchovies – i think i will use the whole tin. (btw, these breadcrumbs are courtesy of last week’s french bread, and they smell amazing.)

spaghetti w/ anchovied breadcrumbs (adapted from bon appétit)

1lb spaghetti

3 Tbsp olive oil

6 anchovy fillets, mashed to paste w/ 1 tsp oil from the can

3 garlic cloves, pressed

1 cup coarse fresh breadcrumbs

1lb cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cup thinly sliced basil

½ cup freshly grated parmesan

cook spaghetti to al dente. drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. heat 1½ Tbsp olive oil in skillet over med heat. add anchovies and half of the garlic, then breadcrumbs. cook breadcrumbs until golden, tossing to distribute evenly, about 5min. scrape crumbs onto plate and cool. heat remaining 1½ Tbsp olive oil in same skillet over med heat. add tomatoes and remaining garlic. cook until tomatoes begin to break down, 3 to 4min. add pasta, basil, cheese and reserved cooking liquid. toss, mix in half of breadcrumbs. season with salt and pepper. transfer to pasta bowl. top with remaining breadcrumbs. serve.