Pasta ca’ muddica
Pasta con la mollica · in dialect: pasta ca’ muddica
Spaghetti with anchovy and toasted breadcrumbs
Pasta ca’ muddica is a Sicilian store-cupboard pasta of spaghetti tossed in olive oil with melted anchovies, garlic and chilli and topped with crunchy toasted breadcrumbs.
The story
Toasted breadcrumbs have long been called the poor man’s Parmesan in Sicily: the crunch and savour of cheese for the price of yesterday’s bread. This is a fifteen-minute pasta from the cupboard that is far better than it sounds.
Ingredients
Method
1Toast the crumbs
Fry the breadcrumbs in 2 tablespoons of oil over a medium heat, stirring, until golden and crisp. Tip onto a plate.
2Melt the anchovies
Warm the remaining oil in the same pan over a low heat with the garlic and chilli for 1–2 minutes, then add the anchovies and stir until they dissolve.
3Toss
Cook the pasta until al dente, drain, keeping a cup of water, and toss in the anchovy oil with a splash of the water until glossy. Add the parsley and lemon zest.
4Serve
Serve with the crumbs scattered thickly over the top so they stay crisp.
Tips for success
- Add the crumbs at the table, not in the pan, or they go soft.
Variations
- Add a handful of chopped olives or capers, or a few cherry tomatoes cooked down in the oil.
Making ahead and storing
Eat straight away.
What to drink
A Catarratto or Inzolia.
Pasta ca’ muddica: your questions
What is muddica?
Sicilian for breadcrumbs. Muddica atturrata means toasted breadcrumbs, used across Sicily in place of cheese on fish and vegetable pasta.
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