There’s so much olive oil in this dish that if you use a subpar one, you’ll taste it.
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 4 oil-packed flat anchovy fillets
- 6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) or coarse fresh breadcrumbs
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving
How to Make It
- Bring a large pot of very salty water to a boil and add the spaghetti. Cook until al dente. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet set over medium-low heat, cook 1 cup of the olive oil with the anchovies, garlic, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of kosher salt, stirring occasionally, until the anchovies dissolve and the garlic is tender, 6 to 7 minutes (don’t let the garlic brown!). Stir in the parsley and take the skillet off the heat.
- While the pasta and anchovy sauce are cooking, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a small skillet set over medium heat. Add the panko and cook, stirring often, until golden, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer to paper towels to cool.
- Return the drained pasta to the pot. Stir in the reserved pasta cooking liquid, then the anchovy sauce and half of the panko. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes; season with kosher salt and pepper. Serve topped with Parmesan and the remaining panko.
