A classic midnight meal in the Italian household. Nothing is a better midnight snack than this salty and addicting Garlic Anchovy Pasta with Toasted Breadcrumbs.
When you get home from going out and looking for that midnight meal, nothing hits quite like a sandwich like Gruyere Grilled Cheese or a delicious pasta dish like this one.
Love quick pasta recipes? Try our 15-Minute Spaghetti with Garlic and Oil, Italian Summer Pasta with Zucchini, or Pasta with Peas and Pancetta.
Look, I know what you're thinking. Anchovies? Take a hike. But here's the thing. I'm not the guy that is eating anchovies out of the container. I wanted to make garlic anchovy pasta to prove that not all anchovies are bad. This recipe is NOT the fishy experience you're thinking it might be. Please give this recipe a shot, it's so easy and quick, plus eating anchovies is cool.
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Anchovies but not the Taste of Anchovies
You want to tell me anchovies aren't cool? But, you're wrong. Growing up, eating any kind of seafood like anchovies, sardines, raw clams, and oysters was impressive. I hated seafood for years, but I always wanted to try it to impress my dad. And now as an adult, I do like raw oysters. To be honest, I'm not even sure if I like them, but ordering oysters is like walking around with a cigarette, you just feel cool.
But anchovies, I could never eat. There was something about them, that just made me want to die when they touched my lips. My dad would put them on pizza sometimes and I just couldn't handle it. I don't think anyone in my family would eat anchovies besides my dad. Cooking with anchovies is different than slapping them on a pizza. If you added anchovies to Chicken Alla Vodka Pizza, I'd know about it. Adding it to a recipe gives the dish a certain savory depth.
There is a depth of salty and savory you get from the anchovies that you can't match with simple sea salt. This Garlic anchovy pasta is an homage to all the seafood I tried growing up. I'm still not cool no matter how many raw oysters I eat.
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Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Anchovies. These little fish in the tin magnify the flavors of garlic, parsley, and capers. They melt into the olive oil as you saute them with the garlic. The pasta with anchovy is addicting like a salty potato chip.
Toasted bread crumbs. These used to be used in Sicily instead of parmesan because it was affordable and available. Parmigiana was expensive and difficult to get at the time. Toasted bread crumbs provide a texture to the pasta similar to the parmigiana.
Full disclosure: I used toasted bread crumbs and parmesan because I'm a fat mamaluke.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step 1: Toasting the bread crumbs takes about 5-10 minutes so I would start with that unless you have toasted bread crumbs on hand. Start by bringing a small pan to medium-high heat. Add some olive oil to the pan and once it's hot, pour in some bread crumbs.
You want to stay on top of this because the bread crumbs will stick to the pan if you don't keep them moving. Continue tossing or stirring the bread crumbs every 15-30 seconds until they are browned. Then place them on a paper towel-lined plate to cool. The paper towel will absorb any excess moisture so they don't stick together.
Step 2: Bring a large pan to medium-low to medium heat. We want to work with a pretty low temperature because we want the anchovies to melt into the olive oil and the garlic not to burn, just soften.
Step 3: Add extra virgin olive oil to the pan. Then add in the garlic and anchovies and stir for 1 minute until you can start to smell the garlic. Then stir in the capers and crushed red pepper. Stir often and let the garlic soften for about 4-5 minutes. If you think the oil is too hot, remove the pan from the heat so that the garlic doesn't burn. Not burning or browning the garlic is important for this dish because it's a quick lemon sauce that doesn't simmer for hours.
Step 4: Stir in half of the parsley that the recipe calls for. To make the sauce, pour in the white wine and squeeze in the juice from half a lemon. I always use sauvignon blanc for white wine when cooking. While the sauce is reducing, you'll drain your pasta, being sure to save some of the pasta water. Pour ¼ cup of it into the pan and mix the pasta in while it is still hot.
Step 5: Slowly add in more pasta water as necessary. If the sauce looks oily instead of creamy, you should add more water. Continue stirring while the pan is on the medium-low until the sauce begins to stick to the pasta. Stir in the remaining parsley and toss with the toasted bread crumbs.
Serve garlic anchovy pasta with a giant glass of white or red wine or whatever your nightcap will be tonight.
Pro-Tips
- While you're heating the pan for the sauce, you'll want your pasta already boiling in a pot, because we are going to need some of that starchy pasta water so that the sauce sticks to the pasta. Cook the pasta to al dente or just before al dente.
FAQs
Some people refer to this dish as midnight pasta because it is so easy to make and usually people have it as a midnight snack because it requires few fresh ingredients.
Store in an airtight container and reheat in a pan over medium heat with extra virgin olive oil.
People who are averse to anchovy will always taste anchovy. But on the other hand, do you taste anchovy in your caesar salad? Once the anchovy cooks down, you really won't taste it anymore. It will just be a part of the salty conglomeration of flavors.
More Easy and Quick Pasta Recipes
📖 Recipe
Garlic Anchovy Pasta with Toasted Bread Crumbs
Equipment
- 1 Frying Pan
- 1 Pot
Ingredients
- ½ lb linguine or spaghetti
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 5 anchovies
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 tbsp capers
- 4 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
- ½ lemon
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup toasted bread crumbs
Toasted Bread Crumbs
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add salt and cook pasta to al dente. Save some of the pasta water for the sauce.
- While the pasta is cooking, bring a large pan to medium-low to medium heat. Add in 3 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Once the olive oil is shimmering, add garlic and anchovies stirring for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Then stir in the crushed red pepper and capers. Saute at a low temperature until the garlic is softened and the anchovies begin to melt into the oil (about 4 minutes).
- Stir in half the parsley. Once combined, add juice from half a lemon and white wine stirring often. It will come to a simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes or until the sauce reduces by half. Add ¼ cup of pasta water. Drain your pasta and add to the pan. Add the rest of the parsley and stir the pasta vigorously to combine. Add more pasta water if the sauce looks oily or begins to separate. Top with toasted bread crumbs to serve
Toasted Bread Crumbs
- In a small pan, bring olive oil to medium-high heat. Pour in bread crumbs tossing every 15-30 seconds until browned or "toasty"
Notes
- Always save extra pasta water to make the dish creamier.
- Cook the pasta to al dente because when you add it to the pan with the sauce, it will continue to cook for another minute.
Vinny says
My grandma used to make us this at night when we would come home from playing with friends. It's so good and I hope you enjoy!