Anchovy Spaghetti & Golden Breadcrumbs

📝 Ingredients

• 400 g spaghetti
• 2 tins of anchovy fillets in oil (about 60 g drained, 16 to 20 fillets)
• 4 garlic cloves
• 4 tbsp olive oil (2 for the breadcrumbs, 2 for the sauce)
• 80 g breadcrumbs
• 15 g fresh parsley
• 1 lemon (zest + 2 tbsp juice)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 150 ml pasta cooking water (set aside during cooking)
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Large saucepan
• Large frying pan
• Wooden spoon
• Colander
• Fine grater
• Spaghetti tongs

📖 Steps

1. Bring 4 litres of water to the boil in a large pan and salt it lightly: the anchovies already add plenty of salt. Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the garlic, zest the lemon, squeeze out 2 tbsp of juice, then wash, dry and chop the parsley.
2. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and stir constantly for 3 to 4 min, until they turn a hazelnut colour and smell of toast. They go from golden to burnt very quickly: don't walk away.
3. Off the heat, mix the breadcrumbs with the lemon zest and a grind of pepper, then tip them straight into a bowl: left in the hot pan, they would keep darkening. Wipe the pan clean with kitchen paper.
4. Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook for 1 min less than the packet instructions, stirring for the first 2 minutes so they don't stick. After 5 min of cooking, scoop out 150 ml of the cooking water into a mug.
5. While the pasta cooks, heat the remaining 2 tbsp oil in the frying pan over a low heat. Add the garlic and drained anchovies, then mash them with a wooden spoon for 2 to 3 min: they melt into a thick cream. The garlic should barely colour, otherwise it turns bitter.
6. Add the tomato purée and 50 ml of the reserved cooking water, then stir for 1 min until you have a smooth, slightly orange sauce. Keep the pan over a very low heat.
7. Drain the spaghetti and add it to the frying pan with the lemon juice and chopped parsley. Toss for 1 to 2 min over a medium heat with the tongs, gradually adding the rest of the cooking water, until the pasta is glossy and well coated. Taste and add pepper, but no salt.
8. Divide the spaghetti between the plates and sprinkle generously with the golden breadcrumbs at the very last moment so they stay crunchy. Put the rest of the breadcrumbs on the table so everyone can add more.