Recipe #28: Pasta with Tomatoes & Garlic Breadcrumbs

I was inspired to search out and make this recipe after having a similar dish at an Italian restaurant (Parkette. Review coming soon). It was nothing overly exciting, just fresh spaghetti with tomato sauce, but the topping of fresh breadcrumbs was really what made this dish a standout! I wouldn't have thought that adding carbs on top of carbs would be so delicious, but then again, I have been known to be wrong.

And, because I love fresh pasta (and it’s really not that scary to make), I decided to skip the packaged stuff for this recipe and whip up a batch of fresh pasta with dried basil and red pepper flakes. Yes, having a pasta roller handy does make this task much easier, I will admit, and it still is time consuming, so this isn’t a regular weeknight meal. I made the pasta on a weekend and then attempted drying and freezing the extra pasta, which worked really well. Just lay it flat on a tea towel or baking rack to dry, then toss it into a freezer bag and into the freezer. When you want to eat, take out from freezer and drop directly into boiling water.  I would say just as fresh as if you made it that day. 

If you already have your favorite tomato sauce for spaghetti, then just use this recipe for the bread crumbs. Once you try it, I can almost guarantee that you’ll never go back to ‘un-breadcrumbed’ pasta again! But make sure you’re not using store-bought crumbs. Save a few pieces of fresh bread and pulse them in your blender or food processor for the best results.

  

INGREDIENTS

Kosher salt

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2-1/2 cups fresh coarse breadcrumbs

Freshly ground black pepper

Freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 pt. cherry tomatoes, halved

6 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

DIRECTIONS

Set a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. Heat 2 Tbs. of the oil and half the garlic in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until the garlic is fragrant but not brown, about 30 seconds. Turn the heat to medium, toss in the breadcrumbs, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until the crumbs brown and turn crisp, 6 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl.

Put the pasta in the water.

Add 2 Tbs. of the oil to the skillet and cook the remaining garlic and red pepper flakes until the garlic is fragrant but not browned, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, season generously with salt and pepper, and sauté for 5 minutes so they start to soften and lose their shape. Fold in all but 2 Tbs. of the parsley.

Finish cooking the pasta until it's just tender, about 10 minutes total. Drain the pasta, put it in a large serving bowl, and toss with the tomato mixture, half of the breadcrumbs, and 2 Tbs. of the olive oil. Taste for salt and pepper. Drizzle each serving with 1/2 Tbs. of the remaining oil and sprinkle with the remaining breadcrumbs, grated cheese, and parsley. Serve immediately.