Spaghetti with breadcrumbs & anchovies

Spaghetti with Breadcrumbs was invented as a cheaper alternative to grated cheese. This recipe includes lots of anchovies, capers, garlic, & pepper flakes.

Recipe type: Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

2 cups of breadcrumbs (homemade very much preferred!)
½ cup of extra virgin olive oil, divided into ¼ cup + ¼ cup
1 lb. dried thin spaghetti or angel hair
1 head of garlic, minced
one 2 oz. can of anchovies (or to taste)
½ cup capers, roughly chopped (if you’re using more anchovies, you may want to use fewer capers, or the dish may be too salty)
1 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 handful of parsley, minced
The zest of one lemon
Grated parmesan cheese, to serve
Instructions

Take some stale bread and grind it in a food processor until you have 2 cups of coarse breadcrumbs.
Next, in a skillet, heat ½ cup of olive oil over medium low heat. Add the breadcrumbs, and stir to combine. Let them toast lightly, watching them carefully. They should get quite darkly toasted; you want them to be crunchy. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Boil the pasta in salted water per package instructions until al dente.
While that’s happening, heat another ¼ cup of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add 1 head of minced garlic, and let caramelize. Next, add 1 can of anchovies along with the oil (2 cans if you are an anchovy head) and use a wooden spoon to break them up until you have something resembling a coarse paste.
Add ½ cup of capers and cook for 1 minute. Add the cooked pasta to the mixture along with the black pepper, red chili flakes, parsley, and lemon zest. (If you like a spicier pasta, add the chili flakes to the oil before you add the pasta and let it infuse the oil.) Toss the pasta together, and then quickly toss in the breadcrumbs.
Serve immediately with grated parmesan cheese.