Spaghetti with Garlic, Anchovies and Toasted Breadcrumbs
Inspired by techniques from NYT Cooking and Serious Eats.
This follows the classic spaghetti aglio e olio method, but melts anchovies into the garlic oil and finishes with toasted breadcrumbs, lemon zest and parsley, using chilli flakes in place of fresh chilli and a lighter-salted pasta water.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
Unlock all flavours with Premium
This flavour is part of Premium. You can see the ingredients and nutrition; the quantities and the full method are for members.
Premium: $4.99/month or $39.99/year.
Equipment
- large deep frying pan (30 cm)
- small frying pan
- large pot (at least 5 litres)
- colander or tongs
- heatproof mug for pasta water
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 659 kcal |
| Protein | 18.7 g |
| Carbohydrate | 89.2 g |
| of which sugars | 3.9 g |
| of which free sugars | 1.1 g |
| Fat | 24.9 g |
| of which saturates | 3.7 g |
| Fibre | 4.4 g |
| Salt | 1.99 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
2.8 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
Metric · 4 servings
Pasta
- 400 g dried spaghetti
Pasta water
- 15 g fine salt for 3 litres of pasta water (0.5%) about 2½ tsp; most of it goes down the drain
Sauce
- 80 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 10 anchovy fillets in oil, drained and chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
Breadcrumbs
- 70 g dried breadcrumbs (from stale bread)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
To finish
- 4 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 lemon, zest and wedges
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1
Toast the breadcrumbs. Warm 1 tbsp of oil in a small frying pan over medium-low heat, add the breadcrumbs and toast for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly, until evenly golden. Tip them onto a plate as soon as they're coloured, since breadcrumbs burn quickly once they start to brown.
- 2
Cook the spaghetti. Bring 3 litres of water to the boil with only the 15 g of salt, since the anchovies will add plenty of saltiness later. Add the spaghetti, stirring during the first minute, and cook for 1 minute less than the packet time.
- 3
Melt the anchovies. Meanwhile, put the 80 ml of oil, anchovies, garlic and chilli flakes into the large pan while it's still cold, then warm over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes. Press the anchovies with a spoon as they soften, until they dissolve into the oil and the garlic turns pale gold. Starting from a cold pan stops the garlic scorching before the anchovies have had time to melt in.
- 4
Build the emulsion. Scoop out 240 ml of pasta water, then add 80 ml of it to the anchovy oil and boil hard for 1 minute until the liquid turns cloudy. This cloudy, starchy water is what lets the oil and water bind into a silky sauce instead of separating.
- 5
Toss the spaghetti. Drain the spaghetti and add it straight to the pan, tossing over high heat for 1-2 minutes and adding small splashes of the remaining pasta water as needed, until every strand is glossy and coated. Take the pan off the heat once the sauce clings rather than pools at the bottom.
- 6
Finish and serve. Off the heat, toss through the parsley, lemon zest, black pepper and half the toasted breadcrumbs. Serve topped with the remaining breadcrumbs for crunch, with lemon wedges alongside for squeezing over.
Storage
Best eaten straight away, as the breadcrumbs lose their crunch on standing. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 1 day; reheat gently in a pan with a splash of water until piping hot (74°C). Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
