Pasta with Stale Bread?
In Italy, many pasta dishes were born from the traditions of cucina povera.
One of the best recipes in the world is spaghetti with breadcrumbs and parsley—this version from Calabria ups the ante
Giancarlo Suriano has bright red glasses, a 200-watt smile, and was kind enough to cook a half-dozen Calabrian favorites at his kitchen located in the headquarters of Suriano, his company that specializes in preserving regional ingredients such as Calabrian chilies and Tropea onions. My favorite, hands down, was the simplest: spaghetti with breadcrumbs, walnuts and anchovies. It’s a recipe that is itself a master class in Italian cooking, since it parades so many concepts that are at the heart of Calabrian cuisine.
First, simplicity. Stale bread, a few walnuts, some garlic, parsley, chili and anchovies—that’s about it. And these are items that most cooks have sitting around. Second, toasting torn bread in a skillet before transforming it into breadcrumbs. I do this all the time to create croutons for a salad or soup. (Toss torn pieces of country bread or stale bread with a little extra-virgin olive oil and salt and cook them in a skillet over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes.) Third, pangrattato, which this is a form of, although the bread, the nuts and the other ingredients are all treated separately. Finally, the sauce is finished in the skillet with some of the cooking water, a classic Italian approach.
I was a bit surprised that Calabrian chilies in Calabria are mild and fruity whereas Calabrian chilies purchased here in the States are hotter. (In Calabria, you can eat them out of hand after dragging them through a bit of hot oil to crisp up the exterior.) A mild red chili is what is required here, so we chose Fresnos, seeded, but you could also use red pepper flakes if you like.
Giancarlo loves his anchovies but we cut the number down to three to five—take your pick. The anchovies dissolve into the oil and are there more for rich background rather than as a forward flavor.
Christopher Kimball
Christopher Kimball is founder of Milk Street, which produces Milk Street Magazine, Milk Street Television on PBS, and the weekly public radio show Milk Street Radio. He founded Cook’s Magazine in 1980 and was host and executive producer of America’s Test Kitchen until 2016. Kimball is the author of several books, including "The Yellow Farmhouse" and "Fannie’s Last Supper."
