This anchovy pasta is savory, garlicky, and crunchy in every bite. It is so delicious and easy to make in less than 30 minutes!
Breadcrumbs on pasta add a lot of texture and are an excellent cheese substitute if you ever find yourself without it or if you are lactose-intolerant. The anchovies melt into the sauce, so you get that umami flavor at every bite. The capers and olives are salty and tangy, adding a nice balance. The pasta is cooked to al dente, and the pasta water provides the body to the sauce. With minimal ingredients that are mostly pantry staples, you should consider adding this recipe to your repertoire.
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Why you’ll love this recipe
- The breadcrumbs add a beautiful crunch to every bite.
- The ingredients for this recipe are mostly pantry staples.
What you’ll need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Spaghetti: You can use another long pasta like bucatini or linguine.
- Panko breadcrumbs: These are flaky, coarse breadcrumbs made from white bread and typically used in Japanese cooking. You can also make your own using stale bread then coarsely grind them.
- Capers: These are green flower buds that are tangy and salty. Get the smaller ones labeled "non-pareil," which have a delicate texture and are less acidic than the bigger ones.
- Anchovy fillets (in oil): An umami-rich ingredient that adds so much flavor, these anchovy fillets are available in cans or jars, salt-cured, and stored in olive oil. The best kinds are usually sold in jars and are expensive. Since you're cooking them in this recipe, it's okay to use an inexpensive brand like Wild Planet or Roland. Taste your anchovies; if they are too salty, use less of it. Otherwise, go ahead with the entire 2-ounce tin.
- Olives: I used an assortment of olives, but any variety will do. Marinated olives are okay as long as they are not too overpowering for the dish. If you are unsure of what to get, go with Castelvetrano olives — they are mild and "buttery." Remember to pick olives that you like eating. If you don't like olives, feel free to omit and add more capers instead.
- Fresh parsley: You can also use fresh basil or arugula (rocket).
How to make this recipe
Prepare the ingredients: (1)Mince the garlic and chop the fresh parsley.
(2)Drain the capers and chop them. (3)Remove the olives from the brine and roughly chop them as well.
(4)Finely chop the anchovies.
Toast the breadcrumbs: (5)Add a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. (6)Add the breadcrumbs, tossing them frequently for even toasting.
(7)When crunchy and golden brown, transfer to a bowl.
Boil the pasta: (8)Add the pasta to a pot of salted boiling water. (9)Stir occasionally to prevent them from sticking together. Cook 2 minutes less than the package instructions. It will continue to cook with the sauce in the pan.
Make the sauce: (10)Set the same skillet you toasted the breadcrumbs in over medium heat, then add the rest of the olive oil. Add the garlic, capers, crushed red pepper, and anchovies when the oil is hot. (11)Stir them together and press the anchovies against the pan using the back of the spatula, so they disintegrate and blend with the sauce.
(12)Add the olives and lemon juice. You can zest the lemon and add it in for more freshness as an option. Let the sauce cook for about a minute.
Combine: (13)Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce.
(14)Toss them together to distribute the sauce. (15)Add about ½ cup of pasta water, adding more as needed.
(16)Turn it up to medium-high heat to simmer the sauce for about 2 minutes, letting the pasta absorb most of the sauce. Taste your pasta at this point. Season with ground pepper and salt, if necessary. Turn off the heat. (17)Add some of the breadcrumbs and (18)fresh parsley. Toss them together.
Serve: To keep the breadcrumbs crunchy, serve immediately and garnish with the remaining breadcrumbs and parsley. As an option, you can also top with grated parmesan cheese.
Frequently asked questions and tips
Anchovy fillets add a pleasant, savory taste to the pasta. As you cook them, they melt or disintegrate into the sauce. What's left is a big, umami flavor adding depth to the pasta.
This anchovy pasta is already a meal in itself, but you can also serve it with a salad or serve the pasta as a side to a protein dinner like steak or chicken.
The key takeaway
Remember to use the pasta water to bring the pasta and the sauce together. It has plenty of starch that will add flavor and thicken the sauce. Without it, the pasta will be oily and dry.
Watch how I make it here
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📖 Recipe
Anchovy Pasta with Breadcrumbs
Equipment
- A large skillet or sauté pan
- A large pot ot large saucepan
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (227 grams) spaghetti (see note)
- Salt for the pasta water
- 1 cup (65 grams) Panko breadcrumbs, divided (see note)
- ½ cup (76 grams) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon (15 grams) capers drained and chopped
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 tin (2 ounces or 57 grams) anchovy fillets in oil finely chopped, reduce amount if too salty
- ½ cup (57 grams) pitted olives drained and chopped
- ½ lemon zest and juice
- Ground pepper to taste
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients:
- Mince the garlic and chop the fresh parsley.
- Drain the capers and olives, then roughly chop them.
- Finely chop the anchovies.
Toast the breadcrumbs:
- Add a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the breadcrumbs, tossing them frequently for even toasting.
- When crunchy and golden brown, transfer to a bowl.
Boil the pasta:
- Add the pasta to a pot of salted boiling water.
- Stir occasionally to prevent them from sticking together.
- Cook 2 minutes less than the package instructions. It will continue to cook with the sauce in the pan.
Make the sauce:
- Set the same skillet you toasted the breadcrumbs in over medium heat, then add the rest of the olive oil.
- Add the garlic, capers, crushed red pepper, and anchovies when the oil is hot.
- Stir them together and press the anchovies against the pan using the back of the spatula, so they disintegrate and blend with the sauce.
- Add the olives and lemon juice. You can zest the lemon and add it in for more freshness as an option.
- Let the sauce cook for about a minute.
Combine:
- Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce.
- Toss them together to distribute the sauce.
- Add about ½ cup of pasta water, adding more as needed.
- Turn it up to medium-high heat to simmer the sauce for about 2 minutes, letting the pasta absorb most of the sauce.
- Taste your pasta at this point. Season with ground pepper and salt, if necessary. Turn off the heat.
- Add some of the breadcrumbs and fresh parsley. Toss them together.
Serve:
- To keep the breadcrumbs crunchy, serve immediately and garnish with the remaining breadcrumbs and parsley.
- As an option, you can also top with grated parmesan cheese.
Video
Notes
- Spaghetti: You can use another long pasta like bucatini or linguine.
- Panko breadcrumbs: These are flaky and coarse breadcrumbs made from white bread and typically used in Japanese cooking. You can also make your own using stale bread then coarsely grind them to make breadcrumbs.
- Capers: These are green flower buds that are tangy and salty. Get the smaller ones labeled "non-pareil," which have a delicate texture and are less acidic than the bigger ones.
- Anchovy fillets (in oil): An umami-rich ingredient that adds so much flavor, these anchovy fillets are available in cans or jars, salt-cured, and stored in olive oil. The best kinds are usually sold in jars and are expensive. Since you're cooking them in this recipe, it's okay to use an inexpensive brand like Wild Planet or Roland. Taste your anchovies; if they are too salty, use less of it. Otherwise, go ahead with the entire 2-ounce tin.
- Olives: I used an assortment of olives, but any variety will do. Marinated olives are okay as long as they are not too overpowering for the dish. If you are unsure of what to get, go with Castelvetrano olives — they are mild and "buttery." Remember to pick olives that you like eating. If you don't like olives, feel free to omit and add more capers instead.
- Fresh parsley: You can also use fresh basil or arugula (rocket).
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