Anchovy Breadcrumb Pasta is a classic Italian recipe made with canned anchovies, toasted breadcrumbs, garlic, and lemon. Toasted breadcrumbs give this pasta an irresistible crunch and the whole dish is ready in less than 30 minutes!
Quite possibly one of my favorite pasta recipes of all time, you are going to love this this Anchovy Breadcrumb Pasta. It is a classic southern Italian recipe that has so much flavor without a lot of effort.
Why This Recipe Works!
This Anchovy Breadcrumb Pasta is an umami powerhouse! Full of flavor with the perfect salty bite, you're going to love this recipe.
If you've never cooked with anchovies before, you're missing out. This tiny tin of fish adds so much flavor without a lot of effort. Here, the anchovies melt into a simple oil/garlic sauce and leave a delicious salty flavor, without the fishy taste you may fear.
The whole recipe gets an extra layer of flavor from the lemon zest and lemon juice, as well as the red chili peppers. And adding toasted breadcrumbs give it a delicious and satisfying crunch.
There are many variations of this recipe, and I have tried them all! I think you will agree that this is truly the best and most authentic version out there.
Ingredients Needed for Anchovy Breadcrumb Pasta
This delicious and savory pasta is filled with pantry staples. For this recipe you will need: spaghetti, canned anchovies, garlic, red chili peppers, lemon, parsley, bread, and parmesan cheese.
- Canned Anchovies: this delicious salty flavor-booster is an absolute for this recipe. I like to use two tins of anchovies packed in oil. However, if you are hesitant, you could always just use a single tin.
- Stale Breadcrumbs: you really have to make fresh breadcrumbs for this recipe. Those canned crumbs just will not work. I like to use day-old French or Italian bread loaves that you find at the supermarket. Leftover breadcrumbs can be frozen in an airtight container for later use.
- Parmesan Cheese: the original version of this recipe doesn't call for any cheese. In fact, it's a great dairy-free pasta option if you choose to omit it. I decided to add a small amount at the end of the recipe because I do love the salty bite.
Read on to see how simple and delicious this recipe is to make!
How to Make Anchovy Breadcrumb Pasta
This recipe for Anchovy Breadcrumb Pasta is one of the best out there! Made with homemade breadcrumbs, canned anchovies, garlic, and spaghetti, you're going to love how simple and flavorful it really is.
To start, you need to make the breadcrumbs. Day-old Italian or French loaf is ideal here. Simply cut the bread into chunks (step 1) and pulse in a food processor until they form a crumb (step 2).
Next, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the breadcrumbs and stir until they reach a golden brown in color (step 3). Use a large spoon to remove the breadcrumbs from the skillet and set aside.
The next step is to boil the spaghetti and make the sauce. While you are making the sauce, heat a large pot of salted water and boil the spaghetti until it is just al dente, reserving a cup of the cooking liquid for the sauce.
To make the sauce, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add in minced garlic, anchovies, and chili flakes (step 1). Cook until the anchovies dissolve; about a minutes or two.
Next, add in a cup of the pasta water along with the zest and juice of one lemon. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let reduce slightly; about 5 minutes (step 2).
To the pan, add in the cooked spaghetti, parmesan cheese, and toasted breadcrumbs (step 3). Toss the entire mixture together until well combined with the sauce (step 4). Serve warm.
Recipe Tips and FAQs
Follow my tips to be sure you get perfect Anchovy Breadcrumb Pasta every time!
- Never use canned breadcrumbs. Breadcrumbs are the star of this recipe and should be made from scratch. You can freeze breadcrumbs ahead of time, and then just saute them prior to serving.
- Make sure you are using a large skillet or dutch oven when you are making the sauce. You will need plenty of room to toss the pasta together.
- It's always a good idea to keep an extra cup or two of pasta water in case you need to loosen up the pasta before serving. Be careful not to add too much water so that you make the bread soggy.
- To make this dish ahead of time, proceed as instructed, but don't add the breadcrumbs until right before serving.
A long noodle is definitely best for this recipe. Buccatini or spaghetti are the best options. You can use a thin pasta like angel hair but it has the tendency to clump together.
The classic recipe for this dish calls for spaghetti, breadcrumbs, anchovies, garlic, and olive oil. However, many variations also include lemon juice and zest, chili flakes, capers, olives, parsley, and parmesan cheese.
Anchovy breadcrumb pasta is a southern Italian recipe that is thought to be Sicilian in origin. The toasted breadcrumbs used in this dish were devised as a cheaper alternative to cheese in pasta. There are different variations of the recipe but the common ingredients are anchovies, breadcrumbs, garlic, oil, and pasta.
Related Recipes
Stuffed Shells with Homemade Meat Sauce
Classic Italian Stromboli Recipe
Turkey Sausage Meatballs and Spaghetti
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card below and/or review in the comments section further down the page.
Anchovy Breadcrumb Pasta
Equipment
- large skillet
Ingredients
- 2 cups cubed stale bread (French or Italian loaf)
- ⅔ cup olive oil, divided
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 6 cloves garlic, minced (about two tablespoons)
- 2 2 ounce cans anchovies in oil
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
- ½ cup grated parmesan
Instructions
- Place the bread cubes in a food processor and process until finely ground. In a large skillet, heat ⅓ cup of olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add in breadcrumbs and cook until golden in color, about 3 minutes, stirring to make sure they don't burn. Remove breadcrumbs from skillet and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Boil spaghetti until just al dente, according to package instructions. Save a cup of the cooking liquid for the sauce. Drain spaghetti and set aside.
- While the pasta boils, prepare the sauce. In the large skillet, heat the remaining ⅓ cup of olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, anchovies, and chili flakes. Cook until fragrant and the anchovies dissolve; about 3 minutes. Add in one cup of pasta water, lemon juice and zest, and bring mixture to a simmer. Cook until sauce has reduced slightly; about 4 minutes.
- To the saucepan add in the cooked spaghetti, chopped parsley, parmesan cheese, and breadcrumbs. Toss until well combined. Serve immediately.
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Sharon
This pasta dish has made an anchovy lover out of me! It's so easy to make and a comfort food dish for sure.
Casey
Omg, this pasta was SO full of flavor and a lot easier to make than I expected! DELISH!!!!
angelakallison
So happy you loved it!
Sara
Great flavour and texture! Love anchovies and never thought of using them like this before! Will definitely make again.
cyndy
This is one of my favorite southern Italian recipes. I love it and could eat it several times a week! My family loved it and it is just so simple and flavorful!
angelakallison
Me too!
Caroline
Some of my husband's family is from Southern Italy and he has talked about pasta with breadcrumbs though didn't mention anchovies, though that sounds so much tastier to me. Love the flavors in this.
Christa
This is my new favorite pasta dish. The whole family loves it. I cook it just as described and add sliced prosciutto when serving (because the boys in my house require visible meat in a meal 🙄)
angelakallison
So happy you loved it! Great idea to add prosciutto! 🙂
Patrick Bonfils
This recipe has become a routine part of my menu planning. Quite good! Just a few observations: The breadcrumbs may be crunchy when done toasting them, but once they hit the sauce the crunch is long gone. The only way I can imagine getting the crunch to remain would be to use cubes and deep fry them. That said, the breadcrumbs are just fine as is.
I assume that by olive oil, you mean XVOO. XVOO adds another level of complexity to the recipe.
Half a tsp of chili flakes is not nearly enough for my sense of taste. Start with 1 1/2 tsp or just go for the gusto and add a Tbsp. Spice it up!
angelakallison
All great tips! Thanks so much, Patrick! 🙂
Benita
Do you use the oil of the anchovies or drained?
angelakallison
You can use the oil. It adds so much flavor!
Mary Marino
Thank you, Angela, for all the fantastic Food! Your Recipes make me enjoy Baking and cooking again!
Patrick
This dish is excellent. The recipe should call for a good quality XVOO which will add complexity to the taste.
I don't find that the dish keeps well. You can try it the next day, but you will find that the lemon taste is gone and the whole dish tastes muddy rather than complex.
angelakallison
Thank you! Yes, it's definitely best served immediately.