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Pasta with Garlic Breadcrumbs (Pasta con pangrattato) Recipe

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13 votes | 15222 views

This thrifty pasta dish is from an era when clever home cooks had to feed large families and meat and cheese was too expensive and often hard to come by. Bread was always on hand and stale bread was never wasted. Stale bread shows up in many classic Italian soups, pastas and even deserts. Crisp, savory breadcrumbs are the star in this dish. The simple ingredients are deceptively flavorful.

This is the basic recipe and is very, very good just the way it is. In Italy, some families toss in toasted crushed, dried red peppers, sardines or anchovies. Others brown a small bit of pancetta or prosciutto in the olive oil step of the recipe.

The beauty of Italian cooking is its long list of core recipes such as this one that have been adapted and changed to suit each family’s tastes and budget.

Prep time:
Cook time:
Servings: 4
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Ingredients

Cost per serving $1.19 view details

Directions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté another minute or two. Remove from heat; add the cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine.
  2. Cook the pasta according to package directions for al dente. Drain and add to pan with breadcrumbs. Toss over low heat until pasta is coated. Serve immediately with additional Parmesan cheese.
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Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving %DV
Serving Size 205g
Recipe makes 4 servings
Calories 903  
Calories from Fat 294 33%
Total Fat 33.4g 42%
Saturated Fat 5.78g 23%
Trans Fat 0.0g  
Cholesterol 6mg 2%
Sodium 500mg 21%
Potassium 392mg 11%
Total Carbs 124.45g 33%
Dietary Fiber 6.2g 21%
Sugars 6.48g 4%
Protein 24.59g 39%

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Reviews

  • Frank Fariello
    February 10, 2010
    Looks wonderful. I always associate this dish with Sicily--were your folks from there?
    I've cooked/tasted this recipe!
    • Denise Fletcher
      February 11, 2010
      That really looks good, given the handful of ingredients. This is just the kind of recipe I'm always on the lookout for - few ingredients but loads of flavour. Thanks for a great post.
      • Claudia lamascolo
        February 11, 2010
        omg this looks fabulous cant wait to try this sounds sooooooo good!
        • kathy gori
          February 11, 2010
          looks wonderful!
          • Tony Hall
            February 17, 2010
            This cooks up awesome...sans the smelly fish food for his land lubber.
            I've cooked/tasted this recipe!
            • A Culinary Journey with Chef Dennis
              March 7, 2010
              What a great way to serve pasta...
              I've cooked/tasted this recipe!
              • Patricia Turo
                April 22, 2010
                My grandmother and mother made this all the time. I still make it from time to time. It is fast and love the crunchness.
                I've cooked/tasted this recipe!
                • andrea
                  January 25, 2011
                  I love pasta with breadcrumbs!
                  I've cooked/tasted this recipe!

                  Comments

                  • ShaleeDP
                    September 17, 2013
                    Pasta! As long as it is pasta i will give it a go. Love it much. This looks good to try.
                    • Catherine Pappas
                      February 15, 2010
                      Wow this looks so delicious! I have stored in my recipe box to try!
                      • Frank Fariello
                        February 12, 2010
                        I made this the other night--with red pepper flakes and anchovies--it was divine!
                        • Citronetvanille
                          February 11, 2010
                          Oh I love pasta with breadcrumbs, I make it quite often with artichokes and shrimps. Your addition of parmesan is great (not on shrimps though).
                          • Frank Fariello
                            February 12, 2010
                            I see. Quite a combination! Btw, did your folks ever make pasta alle sarde? A Sicilian classic, as you probably know, but I've never actually tried it. I plan to make it some time soon--any pointers welcome!
                            • kathy vegas
                              February 11, 2010
                              Yep, my father's parents were from Castelbuono (outside Palermo) and my maternal grandparents were from Germany and Hungary. Grew up with food everywhere. Literally.
                              1 reply

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