Sicilian pasta with anchovies and breadcrumbs is a quick and easy pasta dinner made with just a few pantry staples and ready in the time it takes to cook your pasta! The anchovies seemlessly melt into the oil to add a delicious umami flavor to this classic dish.
Every home cook needs a repertoire of quick and easy last minute dinner ideas for those hectic days. This easy anchovy pasta recipe is a no brainer.
Just 7 ingredients, all pantry staples (except for the fresh parsley) that you can put together in about 15 minutes. A dish so flavorful that you may consider preparing it for company and not only for quick weeknight meals.
Spaghetti with anchovies (known as pasta c’anciova) originally from Sicily, is a classic example of cucina povera or poor man’s food. That is making do with what one has on hand.
This recipe basically consists of my mom’s pasta with breadcrumb recipe with garlic and anchovies added. And it was a great way of using up the leftover anchovies I had from when I recently made focaccia Messinese and sfincione Bagherese.
I know that many of you may be wondering, can you taste the anchovies? At least that’s what my kids were wondering.
In all honesty, this dish is not at all fishy. The anchovies melt in the sauce and add a salty satisfying flavor.
But this dish is not all about the anchovies. Let me tell you all about the toasted, crispy breadcrumbs.
What is muddica?
Muddica, also called muddica atturrrata, which means toasted breadcrumbs in the Sicilian dialect does not refer to those fine breadcrumbs you buy in a can at the grocery store.
Muddica is made up of the coarsely grated crumb of day old or stale bread with the crusts cut off. You can use your fingers to tear the crumb into small pieces or quickly pulse it in your food processor. Of course, homemade Italian bread is ideal, but any bread you have on hand will do.
The crumbs are toasted in a dry pan until fragrant and then sautéed with olive oil until crisp and golden.
This was considered as the poor man’s cheese back in Sicily when grated cheese was not available or affordable. It was also a way to use up stale bread.
These crispy golden crumbs add lots of flavor as well as texture to this simple dish. Therefore I highly recommend that you not skip this step when preparing this recipe!
Other uses for muddica:
If you’re not interested in the anchovies, make pasta with breadcrumbs or this Sicilian pasta with cauliflower also topped with muddica.
Muddica is also a delicious pizza topping: try it on tomato sfincione or sfincione bagherese.
Which type of pasta is best for this recipe?
My pasta of choice is spaghetti, however bucatini pasta is also a popular option for this recipe. In fact, just about any long pasta shape will do.
Ingredient list
- Spaghetti
- Breadcrumbs from day old or stale bread.
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Anchovy fillets packed in oil
- Red pepper flakes, optional.
- Freshly chopped parsley
- Salt and pepper, to taste
The following are step by step instructions with images to guide you through this recipe. Please scroll to the end of this post for the detailed printable recipe card.
Step by Step Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Prepare the breacrumbs
- While waiting for the pot to boil, heat a pan large enough to hold the pasta on medium heat.
- Add the breadcrumbs and stir until lightly toasted and fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Pour in olive oil and cook, stirring constantly until crisp and golden, about 2 minutes longer. Add a few turns of black pepper, if desired.
- Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and set aside.
For the anchovy sauce
- When the water comes to a boil, add the spaghetti and cook until al dente.
- In the same large pan, heat more olive oil on medium heat and add the minced garlic and anchovies.
- Use the back of a wooden spoon to mash the anchovies. Cook stirring until the anchovies melt into the oil.
- Add red pepper flakes, if using and half of the chopped parsley.
- Stir in a ladle full or two of pasta cooking water to create a smooth sauce and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat.
- Drain the pasta, but reserve some of the cooking water, and add to the pan with the anchovy mixture.
- Cook, stirring to coat the pasta with the sauce. If necessary, add extra pasta water.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the remaining chopped parsley and about half of the toasted breadcrumbs. Drizzle a little extra olive oil over the pasta.
- Serve hot in individual bowls and top with the reserved breadcrumbs.
Recipe Notes
-After the anchovies have melted into the oil, you may consider adding some capers, a spoonful of tomato paste, chopped olives, or pine nuts to the mixture for extra flavor and color.
-In place of spaghetti, substitute bucatini or other long pasta shape.
-Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 days.
-If you plan on reheating leftovers on another day, store some of the crispy breadcrumbs apart and sprinkle over the reheated pasta before serving.
-Do take time to make the muddica with day old bread. Whenever I have some bread that is beginning to go stale, I process the crumb in my food processor and store in the freezer. This way I also have some on hand when I need it.
-Don’t forget to reserve some of the pasta cooking water. This starchy water is ideal to help bind the spaghetti with the anchovy sauce.
Did you try out this recipe?
Let me know how much you enjoyed it by rating it in the recipe card below!
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More pasta recipes you’ll love!
- Pasta with Broccoli
- Pistachio Pesto Shrimp Pasta
- Pasta with Potatoes in Tomato Sauce
- Sicilian Pasta with Sardines
- Pasta with Ricotta
- Spaghetti with Green Beans
- Pasta with Zucchini and Mushrooms
- Pasta with Breadcrumbs
- Spaghetti with Oven Fried Zucchini
- Pasta with Tuna and Peas in Cream Sauce
- Sicilian Pasta with Creamy Pistachio Sauce
- Pasta with Chickpeas in Tomato Sauce
- Sicilian Pasta with Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 320 grams spaghetti or bucatini
- 50 grams breadcrumbs about 1 1/2 cups, from day old bread, crusts removed
- 6 tbsp. olive oil divided, plus extra for drizzling on top
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 7-8 anchovy fillets canned or jarred, in oil
- ¼ cup parsley freshly chopped, divided
- pinch red pepper flakes optional
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Prepare the breacrumbs
- While waiting for the pot to boil, heat a pan large enough to hold the pasta on medium heat.
- Add the breadcrumbs and stir until lightly toasted and fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Pour in 2 tbsp. of olive oil and cook, stirring constantly until crisp and golden, about 2 minutes longer. Add a few turns of black pepper, if desired.
- Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and set aside.
For the anchovy sauce
- When the water comes to a boil, add the spaghetti and cook until al dente.
- In the same large pan, heat the remaining olive oil and add the minced garlic and anchovies. Use the back of the spoon to mash the anchovies. Cook stirring until the anchovies melt into the oil.
- Add red pepper flakes, if using and half of the chopped parsley. Stir in a ladle full or two of pasta cooking water to create a smooth sauce. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat.
- Drain the pasta and add to the pan with the anchovy mixture. Cook, stirring to coat the pasta with the sauce. If necessary, add extra pasta water.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the remaining chopped parsley and about half of the toasted breadcrumbs. Drizzle a little extra olive oil over the pasta.
- Serve hot in individual bowls and top with the reserved breadcrumbs.
Notes
-If you plan on reheating leftovers on another day, store some of the crispy breadcrumbs apart and sprinkle over the reheated pasta before serving. More tips: -Do take time to make the muddica with day old bread. Whenever I have some bread that is beginning to go stale, I process the crumb in my food processor and store in the freezer. This way I also have some on hand when I need it.
-Don’t forget to reserve some of the pasta cooking water. This starchy water is ideal to help bind the spaghetti with the anchovy sauce. Please note that the nutritional information provided is approximate and may vary according to exact ingredients used and portion size.
This recipe goes into my vault! I followed your advise & made the rustic breadcrumbs out of a sad loaf of sourdough we forgot about in the pantry!
Family member who “hates anchovies” had seconds! I had a jar of cherry tomatoes that I oven dried & tossed a handful in before serving. Delicious!
Thank you for sharing!
Hello Amanda, so glad you enjoyed it! And yes, the fresh breadcrumbs do make all of the difference when it comes to preparing muddica. Like your variation suggestion with the cherry tomatoes too. Thank you for your comment!
I recently came back from my first trip to Palermo and Cefalu, Sicily. I missed their cuisine so much, I had to recreate some of the flavors I experienced there. This recipe is so simple yet so flavorful, it allows for the ingredients to really shine through. It touches on the simplicity of Sicilian dishes – you don’t need much to make a delicious meal! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, it will be a lifetime repeat in our household.
Hello Emily, lucky you, hope you enjoyed every minute! I’m thrilled to hear that you enjoyed this easy recipe. Thank you for taking the time to comment!
Yummy! I prepared dry, and then wet ingredients in a blender. Doesn’t get much easier than that. It. reminds me of a dish I ate in Bowling Green, KY. Simple. Satisfying. Black Olives, roasted peppers. Simple.
Hi David, just wondering if you are referring to a recipe other than the pasta with anchovies and breakdcrumbs? Thanks!
What can I say more than that I grew up in mama and papa’s house always having this as a primo on many no-meat Friday night suppers. I pretty much carried on the tradition into my married life albeit not every Friday. And oh how I love this dish … mama used bucatini which as a young girl, I did not appreciate because it has a way of ‘slapping you in the face’ as you try twirling it around your fork. But given it is traditional for this dish I do use bucatini and switch to spaghetti or linguini occasionally. Dear Nadia, thanks for always refreshing my memories of long ago and far away and for continually treating your readers to authentic Italian recipes. You do such a good job at reconstructing them especially if your mom was like my mom who never used a recipe and watching her was never the same twice. Always delicious and made with loving hands however.
Hello Anna, this is indeed a classic dish! I love the way you described the bucatini ‘slapping you in the face’! I totally agree with that and I guess that is why I chose spaghetti instead, too funny! It’s a pleasure as always hearing from you dearest Anna, and thank you for sharing your lovely memories with me!
I love this dish, thanks for the reminder! Looks amazing.
Hello Joe, you are quite welcome and hope you get to enjoy some soon!