Spaghetti with crispy breadcrumbs and anchovies is a simple, coastal Italian pasta that lets fresh anchovies shine. Sweet cherry tomatoes, golden breadcrumbs and good olive oil turn a modest catch into something spectacular.
There is something about fresh anchovies that invites company. Perhaps it is their abundance, arriving by the kilo in crates packed with ice, or perhaps it is the fact that once you begin cleaning them, you may as well open a bottle of wine and settle in. In Italy, fresh anchovies are known as alici, and when they are good, they need very little persuasion.
Many cooks hesitate at the thought of preparing them, but anchovies are surprisingly obliging. A quick slit of the belly, a gentle pull of the head, the spine lifted away with your fingers, and they are ready. No elaborate knife work, no ceremony. In coastal regions from Romagna to Sicily, they are treated with an almost casual confidence, grilled, baked, fried, or folded into pasta while still tasting distinctly of the sea.
In this dish, they are paired with sweet cherry tomatoes and finished with toasted breadcrumbs, a southern Italian touch sometimes described as “poor man’s Parmesan”. The breadcrumbs add crunch and warmth, while the anchovies remain the focus, laid proudly on top rather than hidden in the sauce. It is a pasta that speaks of the shoreline and of kitchens where simplicity is not austerity, but instinct.
Spaghetti with crispy breadcrumbs and anchovies | Pasta con pomodorini e alici
➤ SERVES: 4
➤ PREPARATION: 20 minutes
➤ COOKING: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 garlic clove
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 100g fresh breadcrumbs
- 340g spaghetti
- 250g cherry tomatoes
- 250g fresh anchovies, cleaned and tailed
- A small bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method:
- Chop the garlic finely. In a large frying pan gently heat 3 tbsp of olive oil. Add the garlic and the breadcrumbs. Cook until lightly golden. Remove the breadcrumbs and set them aside. Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add salt and then the pasta.
- While the pasta is cooking, chop the tomatoes and fry them gently in a few tablespoons of olive oil. Once they begin to soften, add the anchovies and continue cooking for a couple of minutes. Add a small ladleful of water from the pasta.
- Remove the anchovies. We will use them to top the pasta. Drain the pasta and add it to the pan along with most of the breadcrumbs and the chopped parsley.
- Toss everything together, divide evenly into four bowls, put the anchovies on top and sprinkle the remaining breadcrumbs over the top of the fish, along with some freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Serve immediately.
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Recipe by Mario Matassa