LINGUINE WITH GARLIC AND BREADCRUMBS

Feb 5, 2012

smitten ⋅ hearty dinners, quick and easy, sides ⋅ bread, garlic, pasta ⋅ No comments

•Can you keep a secret? I mean this is a big one…..I snuck anchovies in this pasta and fed it to my husband without telling him. NO he’s not allergic, just doesn’t like seafood. This is the same guy who refused to try bacon wrapped scallops with chili lime butter -yes I said bacon wrapped. I’ve been experimenting a lot with different flavors and heard that anchovies just melt into the oil and leave behind a salty, nutty flavor-not fishy. I was amazed with the taste and texture of this pasta. You can totally leave the anchovies out if the thought frightens you, but they add another layer of flavor along with the garlic, lemon, parsley, and parmesan that is so deep. Thanks for keeping my secret……I need to go get myself settled in the guest room =)

1/2 lbs of uncooked linguine

2 slices wheat bread or 3/4 cup store bought unseasoned breadcrumbs

3 anchovy fillets-optional

2 garlic cloves-minced

1 lemon-zested and juiced

handful of parsley-roughly chopped

grated or shaved parmesan cheese-as much as you like

3 tbls olive oil

pinch of red pepper flakes

pinch of black pepper

serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a side

prep and cooking time 30 min

350°

Set your oven to 350° and fill a large pot with water and a good dose of salt-turn on high to boil. Meanwhile toss the slices of bread into a food processor and pulse until it becomes a coarse crumb. Spread onto a sheet pan and bake 10-15 min until crispy, stirring once. Set aside.

Add pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions. When the pasta is done reserve 1 cup of the pasta water for the sauce later-the starch in the pasta water helps the sauce bind to the pasta (lesson for the day). Drain the pasta and let sit in sink-these next steps go by fast.

Ready for the anchoivies? I wasn’t sure where to find them at the grocery store (by the canned tuna) how much they would cost (under $2) or what I would see when I opened the can. There were 6 in the can I bought. The remainder I put into a jar in the fridge for the next time (like hubby will ever let me make it for him again =)

Heat a large skillet to medium high and add olive oil. Once oil is hot add the anchovy fillets-continually stir with a wooden spoon until almost dissolved-about 2 min. Add the garlic and saute another 30 seconds-stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn-smells good huh?