Spaghetti with lemon, anchovy, sage and pangrattato
Speedy, simple and packed with flavour, chef Ben Tish's Sicilian recipe for spaghetti dressed with lemon, butter, anchovies and Parmesan is livened up with woody sage and crunchy pangrattato (breadcrumbs). It's a testament to just how good rustic Italian cuisine can be – just be sure to get hold of the best quality ingredients you can to make this dish really sing.
First published in 2021
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1 slice of focaccia, or any bread you have to hand, ideally a day old
- 100g of unsalted butter
- 2 unwaxed lemons, the best quality you can find
- 2 anchovy fillets, the best quality you can find
- 450g of fresh spaghetti, or 320g dried spaghetti
- 30g of Parmesan, finely grated
- 1 handful of sage leaves
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
SAVE RECIPE
Method
1
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. If you’re using dried spaghetti, wait for the water to boil and add the pasta before carrying on. If you’re using fresh, you can carry on while you wait for the water to boil
2
Place a frying pan over a medium-high heat and add a generous amount of olive oil. Once hot, tear the focaccia into large breadcrumbs and place in the pan, adding extra oil as needed – you want the bread to fry rather than toast. Once the breadcrumbs are nicely fried and crisp, keep warm over a very low heat
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1 slice of focaccia, or any bread you have to hand, ideally a day old
3
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Place a deep frying pan or saucepan over a medium heat and add the butter with a drizzle of oil. Once the butter has melted, zest both the lemons directly into the pan, then squeeze in the juice. Give everything a stir to combine, then tear and crush the anchovies between your fingertips directly into the sauce
- 100g of unsalted butter
- 2 unwaxed lemons, the best quality you can find
- 2 anchovy fillets, the best quality you can find
4
At this point, add the fresh spaghetti into the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally
- 450g of fresh spaghetti, or 320g dried spaghetti
5
Lift the pasta out of the water and add it directly to the sauce, along with a little of the pasta water. Sprinkle in the Parmesan, add the sage leaves and give everything a good toss until the sauce emulsifies and starts clinging to the pasta (adding a little more pasta cooking water if needed)
- 30g of Parmesan, finely grated
- 1 handful of sage leaves
6
Season to taste with salt and pepper, sprinkle over the breadcrumbs (and more Parmesan if desired) and serve immediately
First published in 2021
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