Anchovies melted into garlicky oil, finished with fried gluten-free breadcrumbs for the crunch that usually comes from a wheat loaf.
Prep
10 mins
Cook
18 mins
Servings
4
Per serving
£1.48
Difficulty
easy
Southern Italian cooks have used fried crumbs as the poor man's cheese for centuries. Gluten-free breadcrumbs actually crisp beautifully because they hold less moisture, so this is one substitution that improves on the original.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan and fry the breadcrumbs over a medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until deep gold and crunchy. Tip onto kitchen paper and stir through the lemon zest.
Do this first and get the crumbs out of the pan. Left in, they go soft within minutes.
Put a large pan of salted water on to boil and cook the spaghetti one minute short of the packet time.
Wipe out the frying pan, add the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil and set over a low heat. Add the garlic and chilli and cook gently for 2 minutes.
Drop in the anchovy fillets and stir for a minute or two, pressing with the back of the spoon until they dissolve completely into the oil.
Drain the pasta, saving a mugful of water, and toss it in the anchovy oil with a good splash of the water until the strands look silky rather than oily.
Fold through the parsley and black pepper, then serve with the lemony crumbs showered over each plate.