Spaghetti with Toasted Breadcrumbs
My great grandmother Sebastiana used to make this dish when there was stale bread in the house. She shredded it up to resemble breadcrumbs. This trick is an inexpensive way to add flavor and texture to pasta, an old Sicilian trick that we still use today. My aunt Paola uses store-bought breadcrumbs. Either homemade or store-bought breadcrumbs: whichever you prefer.If you like this technique you can also include a few of these ingredients listed to dress up the dish: sautéed thinly sliced garlic cloves, finely chopped parsley, shredded Parmesan cheese, roasted thinly sliced cauliflower, your favorite cooked seafood, sautéed asparagus, diced roasted eggplant, finely diced cherry tomatoes, to name a few.
Spaghetti with Toasted Breadcrumbs
makes 4 servings
1 pound pasta, such as spaghetti, cooked according to manufacturer’s directions
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 heaping cup day-old bread, shredded into breadcrumbs (use a food processor if you have one)
Prepare the pasta according to the manufacturer’s directions. Add one tablespoon of salt to the pasta water. Cook, drain, and drizzle it with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Meanwhile prepare the toasted breadcrumbs. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot add in the breadcrumbs and lightly sauté them for about 4 minutes, or until golden brown. Move them around the pan so they don’t burn. Reduce the heat to low and add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil to moisten the crumbs and transfer them to a deep bowl.
Plate the spaghetti and lightly coat it with the toasted breadcrumb mixture and serve. To dress up this dish, consider adding some of the optional items from the head note.
Labels: Pasta, Sicilian family recipes, Spaghetti with Toasted Breadcrumbs
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