Anchovy Breadcrumb Topping Recipes

PASTA WITH BREAD CRUMBS AND ANCHOVIES, SICILIAN STYLE

Steps:

• Place olive oil and garlic in a heavy skillet and gently cook the garlic over medium heat until golden. Discard garlic. Add the red-pepper flakes and anchovies and mash to a puree with the back of a wooden spoon over very low heat, about one minute. Remove from heat. Do not allow oil to get very hot. Can be prepared in advance to this point.
• Cook the spaghettini in boiling, salted water until cooked al dente. While the pasta is cooking, transfer three tablespoons of the pasta cooking water to the anchovy-oil mixture in order to stretch the sauce; reheat carefully. Drain pasta, then transfer it to the skillet and toss with the hot sauce. Divide evenly on four heated dishes, sprinkle with parsley and serve at once. Pass the bread crumbs.

EGGPLANT ROLLATINI WITH ANCHOVY BREADCRUMBS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.
• Arrange the eggplant in an even layer on two sheet pans. Brush both sides with 6 tablespoons of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until lightly golden brown and very tender, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. (The eggplant can be cooked up to 1 day in advance, cooled and stored, covered, in the refrigerator.) Reduce the oven temperature to 375˚ F.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce: Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Add the tomatoes with their juices and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook until the tomatoes begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Crush the tomatoes with a potato masher. Add the chile paste and basil and cook the sauce until it thickens, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Make the filling: Mix together the ricotta, egg, diced mozzarella and 1/4 cup of the Pecorino in a medium bowl until combined. Season with salt and pepper and fold in the parsley and oregano.
• Ladle 1 cup of the sauce into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Spread 2 tablespoons of the cheese filling over each eggplant slice. Carefully roll up and place them, seam-side down, in the baking dish. Once all the eggplant rolls are in the dish, ladle another cup of the sauce evenly over them and sprinkle the grated mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup Pecorino over the top.
• Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese has melted and turned lightly golden brown, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top and garnish with torn basil, if desired.
• Heat the oil in a medium skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add the anchovies and cook until dissolved, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
• Add the panko and spread into an even layer. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip the crumbs, press them into an even layer again and cook until the bottom is golden brown, about 3 minutes longer. Add the lemon zest and season with pepper and more salt, if desired.
• Spread on a large plate or sheet pan and let cool. Store, tightly covered, in a cool, dry place for 1 day, or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Re-crisp in a dry skillet over low heat before using.

PASTA WITH CARAMELIZED CABBAGE, ANCHOVIES AND BREAD CRUMBS

Steps:

• Mince one garlic clove. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the anchovies and cook, mashing with a spatula, until they dissolve into the butter. Stir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant. Stir in the bread crumbs and sage and cook until bread is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Season with black pepper.
• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until barely al dente. Drain.
• While the pasta cooks, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining garlic and cook until golden brown. Add the chile and cook until fragrant. Stir in the cabbage and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Toss in the pasta and bread-crumb mixture and heat through, then quickly toss in the cheese and remove from heat. Season with salt and more pepper, if desired, and serve immediately.

ANCHOVY BREADCRUMB TOPPING

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil, 1/4 to 1/3 cup, in a skillet over medium heat. Add the anchovies and stir until they melt away into the oil. Lower the heat, and add the garlic and some black pepper and stir a minute or 2. Add the breadcrumbs and cook until deeply fragrant and well toasted. Remove from the heat. Cool and combine with the parsley and cheese. Store in an airtight container.
• Serve over soups or casseroles.

SPICY LOBSTER WITH FETTUCCINE AND ANCHOVY BREADCRUMBS

Steps:

• For the fettuccine: Add the flour and a big pinch of salt to a food processor; pulse to combine. Whisk the eggs and egg yolk in a bowl. With the machine running, drizzle in the egg mixture until the dough is just about cohesive. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured board and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
• Set up an electric or hand-cranked pasta machine with the rolling attachment set to the widest setting. Cut the dough into quarters. Dust 1 piece lightly with flour and press or pound it into a thick, flat oval. Pass it through the roller 2 or 3 times. Fold it in thirds, like a letter, and roll it through again, flouring if necessary. Turn the roller to the next setting, and repeat the rolling and folding. After that, simply run the dough through on increasingly thinner settings until you reach the second thinnest setting, flouring as needed. If the piece of dough gets too long to work with comfortably, cut it in half. The final piece should be about 12 inches long. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a clean towel, and repeat with the remaining dough.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using the pasta machine's fettuccine cutting attachment, cut a sheet of pasta. Swirl the noodles into a nest on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining sheets of dough.
• For the spicy lobster sauce: Prepare an ice bath large enough to hold the lobster. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Kill the lobster by plunging a knife between the lobster's eyes and cutting down through the head. Put the lobster in the boiling water and cook until three-quarters done, about 8 minutes for a 2-pound lobster, and up to 12 minutes for a 3-pound lobster. Using tongs, transfer the lobster to the ice bath. Reserve at least 2 cups of the lobster cooking water. When cool enough to handle, shell the lobster and cut the meat into big chunks. Set aside.
• Heat the canola oil in a large high-sided saute pan over high heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and chile flakes; cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and a cup of the lobster cooking water; cook until reduced by half. Add the tomatoes and bring to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are soft and the liquid is reduced, about 20 minutes. Mash the tomatoes using a potato masher. Continue cooking until the mixture thickens to a sauce consistency, about 15 minutes. Stir in the parsley, oregano and lemon zest. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• For the anchovy breadcrumbs: While the sauce cooks, heat the olive oil in nonstick saute pan over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the garlic and anchovies; cook for 1 minute. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Fold in the parsley and lemon zest, and season with salt and pepper.
• To cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 2 minutes. Drain.
• To finish the dish: While the pasta cooks, stir the lobster into the sauce and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss, adding some more of the lobster cooking water to flavor and thin the sauce slightly if desired. Transfer to a large shallow bowl, top with the breadcrumbs. Serve immediately.

CAULIFLOWER SOUP WITH ANCHOVY BREADCRUMB TOPPING

Steps:

• For the soup:
• Heat the EVOO in a soup pot over medium to medium-high heat. Melt the butter into the oil, then add the garlic, rosemary and onions. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, partially covered, to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the wine and deglaze, then add about 1/2 cup stock and the whole head of cauliflower. Cover the pot and steam the cauliflower until very tender, about 15 minutes. Uncover and break up with a potato masher, then add the remaining stock, milk and potatoes. Season with a little nutmeg and cayenne, to taste. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender, 10 minutes or so. Puree with an immersion blender, then simmer over low heat to thicken to desired consistency, and adjust seasonings. Cool and store for a make-ahead meal.
• For the breadcrumb topping:
• Heat the EVOO, 1/4 to 1/3 cup, in a skillet over medium heat. Add the anchovies and stir until they melt away into the oil. Lower the heat, and add the garlic and some black pepper and stir a minute or 2. Add the breadcrumbs and cook until deeply fragrant and well toasted. Remove from the heat. Cool and combine with the parsley and cheese. Store in an airtight container.
• Serve the soup in shallow bowls topped with the breadcrumbs.

SPAGHETTI WITH GARLICKY BREAD CRUMBS AND ANCHOVIES

Steps:

• In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, warm oil. Add anchovies, garlic and red pepper flakes; cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Stir in bread crumbs and cook until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Season liberally with black pepper, and a little salt if needed.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook according to package instructions; drain well, reserving some of the pasta water (about 1/2 cup is plenty).
• In a large, preferably warmed bowl, stir together egg yolks, fish sauce, hot sauce and 2 tablespoons pasta water. Add hot pasta and toss well, adding more pasta water if the mixture looks dry or unevenly yellow. You want the yolk to evenly coat the pasta but you don't want it to be soupy. Add bread crumb mixture and parsley and toss well. Season with plenty of black pepper, and salt to taste. Drizzle pasta with more oil just before serving and serve with lemon wedges.