Pasta with breadcrumbs is one of the classics from Southern Italian poor man’s kitchen - cucina povera.
It’s made with the most humble ingredients like pasta (typically spaghetti or bucatini), stale bread, extra virgin olive oil flavored with garlic and a couple of anchovy fillets.
Pasta with breadcrumbs is a close cousin of Spaghetti With Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino.
Make it right and you’ll be amazed with an incredible flavor and texture these simple ingredients can accomplish in this simple peasant dish.
As with all traditional Italian recipes, there are also numerous regional variations and hence various names (in local dialect).
Pasta ‘ca muddica, pasta ammuddicata (pasta mollicata), pasta con la mollica atturrata, past chi m’ddech’l are just a few names of pasta with breadcrumbs.
Regional Variations - A Must Try!
Pasta cca muddica from Sicily, is one of the most famous regional variation (presented in this recipe).
This is also how they make it in Bari (Apuglia), where it goes by the name past chi m’ddech’l (dialect).
In some parts of Sicily it’s no rare to see the addition of pine nuts and raisins.
In Taranto, pasta with breadcrumbs counts only six ingredients (pasta, breadcrumb, olive oil, garlic, parsley and chili pepper) and no anchovies. At the end it’s seasoned with freshly chopped parsley.
In the neighboring with Apuglia Basilicata region, to the same basic ingredients as above they add grated Pecorino cheese (added at the end with final tossing of the pasta).
The secret for the perfect Pasta With Breadcrumbs
Pasta with breadcrumbs is one of the easiest pasta dishes.
It’s the right, quality ingredients that will turn it into a mouth-watering bowl of goodness.
Yet, breadcrumbs requires particular attention.
Not only because it is the protagonist of the recipe, but also because English language can be misleading and make you choose the wrong ingredient.
Mollica vs Breadcrumbs
Italian words “mollica” and “pan grattato” both translate in English as “breadcrumbs”. But they are two quite different things, although they both derive from bread.
“Mollica” (“mollica di pane”) is the soft, white inner part of the bread. Its consistency and taste may change according to the kind of flour used, the amount of water, the leavening degree, baking time and temperature and so on, but it always is softer than the crust and more moist.
“Pan grattato” is actually “grated bread” (as it literally translates).
It's obtained by grating hardened bread (either because it is too old and dry or because it was lightly toasted). It is used to bread cutlets, fishes and almost everything that is meant to be deep-fried, or to top grated dishes so that they form a crust (au gratin).
For the authentic pasta with breadcrumbs you’ll need the former, ideally 2-day old bread which started to become stale but still somewhat soft on the inside.
This is the kind of mollica that will be able to absorb oil and to remain sometimes soft in the inside ((depending on the size of the pieces), forming a crunchy external crust when pan-fried.
Using mollica instead of pan grattato is the key to prepare an authentic, most delicious pasta with breadcrumbs.
How To Make Pasta With Breadcrumbs - Step By Step
Grind & toast the bread
Break the bread into pieces, then pulse it in a food processor until rough coarse grind.
Toast them in a large pan on medium heat with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil until golden brown. Make sure to toss the breadcrumbs frequently and adjust the heat if needed. They tend burn before you blink, so always keep an eye on them. Transfer toasted breadcrumbs in a separate bowl.
Cook pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well.
Add the pasta and cook until just barely al dente (2 to 3 minutes short of the package instructions). Make sure to reserve pasta cooking liquid.
Prepare the sauce
Sat the same pan where you’ve toasted the bread on medium heat.
Add extra virgin olive oil, anchovy fillet and garlic. Crush garlic with a flat knife (so you can remove it later) or mince it if you prefer a stronger garlic taste.
Break down anchovy fillets with a wooden spoon. Stir everything until you get a creamy mix. At this time you can remove the garlic pieces if you prefer.
Put it all together
Once pasta is cooked ‘al ‘dente’, scoop out about 2 cups of the pasta water, then drain.
Toss pasta in the pan with olive oil and anchovy cream on medium heat. Add some pasta cooking liquid if it feels to dry. Lastly add the toasted breadcrumbs (and some parsley if you prefer). Give a nice toss and serve.
Pasta For Special Occasions
Pasta with breadcrumbs is a symbolic dish in Southern Italy prepared for Father's Day.
In Italy, it's celebrated on March 19th, the same day when the Catholic Church celebrates Saint Joseph, Jesus’ earthly father, and patron saint of orphans and of poor people.
Among many special dishes prepared in Southern Italy on Saint Joseph’s day, there never are meat dishes, as March 19th always falls within the Lent, the penitence period that Christians observe before Easter.
This doesn’t prevent culinary tradition to include desserts (famous Neapolitan zeppole are dedicated to Saint Joseph) and numerous dishes made with pasta, vegetables and beans.
Almost every region has its recipe of the Pasta di San Giuseppe, which always is a long kind of pasta and includes breadcrumbs.
May they be spaghetti from Trapani, mafaldine from Bari or troccoli from Gallicchio (in the province of Potenza, in Basilicata), Saint Joseph’s pasta always is of the long kind.
This is explained by the saint’s iconography. Like many other Christian saints, Saint Joseph is regularly depicted with a long beard, which the long pasta shapes are intended to symbolise.
For this reasons, pasta with breadcrumbs is also knows as St.Joseph's Pasta or St. Joseph's spaghetti.
Full Recipe
Pasta With Breadcrumbs {From La Cucina Povera}
Ingredients
- 12 oz spaghetti or other long pasta shape
- 3-5 slices of 2-day old bread , should make about ⅔ cup of coarse breadcrumbs
- 4-6 anchovy fillets
- 2 garlic cloves
- Pinch of peperoncino (hot pepper flakes)
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Grind & toast the bread
- Break the bread into pieces, then pulse it in a food processor until rough coarse grind.
- Toast them in a large pan on medium heat with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil until golden brown. Make sure to toss the breadcrumbs frequently and adjust the heat if needed. They tend to burn before you blink, so always keep an eye on them. Transfer toasted breadcrumbs in a separate bowl.
Cook pasta
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well.
- Add the pasta and cook until just barely al dente (2 to 3 minutes short of the package instructions). Make sure to reserve pasta cooking liquid.
Prepare the sauce
- Sat the same pan where you’ve toasted the bread on medium heat.
- Add extra virgin olive oil, anchovy fillet and garlic. Crush garlic with a flat knife (so you can remove it later) or mince it if you prefer a stronger garlic taste.
- Break down anchovy fillets with a wooden spoon. Stir everything until you get a creamy mix. At this time you can remove the garlic pieces if you prefer.
Put it all together
- Once pasta is cooked ‘al ‘dente’, scoop out about 2 cups of the pasta water, then drain.
- Toss pasta in the pan with olive oil and anchovy cream on medium heat. Add some pasta cooking liquid if it feels to dry. Lastly add the toasted breadcrumbs (and some parsley if you prefer). Give a nice toss and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Pasta with breadcrumbs is one of the Italian classic recipes that never get old or boring.
Buon Appetito!
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