(award winning) linguine with breadcrumbs, chili, garlic and anchovy

I love this recipe and there are so many possible variations. I almost always have the ingredients for this in the house so it's a great meal when you haven't got much in or pushed for time. Even if you think you don't like anchovies I urge you to try this recipe. They disappear into the sauce to give a rich and salty flavour to the whole dish. But if you really can't bring yourself to use them leave them out but add some extra olive oil to help the sauce along or try a sundried tomato paste instead. (I've put the complete instructions for this recipe at the end of the post.) This recipe is so good that it one the judges prize in the Instructables Pasta Contest.

Ingredients

250g linguine or spaghetti

70g fresh bread crumbs

1/2 - 1 tsp chili flakes

4 cloves of garlic finely chopped

handful of flat leaf parsley

50g tin anchovy fillets in olive oil

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

1 tbsp olive oil

freshly ground black pepper

Heat a cast iron skillet or thick based frying pan and toast the bread crumbs in the olive oil until golden brown. Just before you remove from the heat add in the fennel seeds and lightly toast. Put the crumbs into a dish and set to one side.

Cook the linguine according to the pack instructions in well salted water.

About 5 minutes before the pasta is cooked heat a wide frying pan over a medium high heat.
Carefully pour in the oil from the anchovy tin and cook the garlic and chili flakes until golden. 

Next add the anchovy fillets and using a wooden spoon squish them until they have dissolved into the garlic and chili mix. Add a couple of ladles of the pasta cooking water to help this along so that you end up with a creamy puree.

Once the pasta is cooked add it to the anchovy mixture followed by the black pepper and the parsley.

Finally add the bread crumbs and stir through then serve.

 

Complete Instructions

1. Heat a cast iron skillet or thick based frying pan and toast the bread crumbs in the olive oil until golden brown. Just before you remove from the heat add in the fennel seeds and lightly toast. Put the crumbs into a dish and set to one side. 
2. Cook the linguine according to the pack instructions in well salted water. 
3. About 5 minutes before the pasta is cooked heat a wide frying pan over a medium high heat.
4. Carefully pour in the oil from the anchovy tin and cook the garlic and chili flakes until golden. 
5. Next add the anchovy fillets and using a wooden spoon squish them until they have dissolved into the garlic and chili mix. Add a couple of ladles of the pasta cooking water to help this along so that you end up with a creamy puree. 
6. Once the pasta is cooked add it to the anchovy mixture followed by the black pepper and the parsley. Finally add the bread crumbs and stir through then serve.