Spaghetti With Garlicky Bread Crumbs and Anchovies

Melissa ClarkTime 30 minutes Yield 4 servings

This is a take on a classic dish from Southern Italy that tosses pasta with toasted, seasoned bread crumbs called pangrattatto. In this version, the bread crumbs are sautéed in olive oil with garlic and anchovies until golden and crisp, and the pasta is coated with egg yolks, hot sauce and Asian fish sauce for creaminess and depth. You can make the bread crumbs up to 3 hours ahead; longer than that and you risk letting them go soggy. Use good-quality bread crumbs here, either homemade or purchased from a bakery. The next best choice is panko, Japanese bread crumbs that you can find in large supermarkets. If you have any of the pangrattatto mixture left over, store it in the refrigerator and give it a brief sauté to revive it before using.

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Ingredients

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
12 anchovies, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup good dried bread crumbs
Black pepper and kosher salt, as needed
1 pound spaghetti
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce (optional)
1 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco, or to taste
½ cup roughly chopped parsley
Lemon wedges, for serving

Preparation

Step 1
In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, warm oil. Add anchovies, garlic and red pepper flakes; cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Stir in bread crumbs and cook until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Season liberally with black pepper, and a little salt if needed.
Step 2
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook according to package instructions; drain well, reserving some of the pasta water (about 1/2 cup is plenty).
Step 3
In a large, preferably warmed bowl, stir together egg yolks, fish sauce, hot sauce and 2 tablespoons pasta water. Add hot pasta and toss well, adding more pasta water if the mixture looks dry or unevenly yellow. You want the yolk to evenly coat the pasta but you don’t want it to be soupy. Add bread crumb mixture and parsley and toss well. Season with plenty of black pepper, and salt to taste. Drizzle pasta with more oil just before serving and serve with lemon wedges.