Anchovy red pesto pasta with crispy garlic pangrattato
Turn a tin of anchovies into a hearty meal for four, with pasta and a breadcrumb topping. It’s a great way to use this affordable storecupboard ingredient
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Prep:15 mins
Cook:25 mins
- Serves 4
- Easy
Nutrition per serving
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kcal 661
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fat 33g
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saturates 6g
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carbs 67g
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sugars 0g
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fibre 6g
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protein 19g
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salt 1.57g
Ingredients
- 300g short pasta , like casarecce or fusilli
- 60ml olive oil
- 2 roasted red peppers , drained and roughly chopped
- 4 anchovy fillets in oil, drained
- 50g walnuts , roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- ½-1 tsp chilli flakes , depending on how spicy you like it
- 50g parmesan , finely grated
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves , skin on and lightly bashed
- 50g panko or dried breadcrumbs
- small handful of parsley , chopped
Method
Start by making the pangrattato. Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Tip in the garlic and cook, basting the garlic in the oil using a spoon, for 4-5 mins until golden. Remove the garlic and set aside to cool. Stir the breadcrumbs into the oil and toast over a medium heat for 4-5 mins until golden. Transfer to a bowl, then stir in some seasoning and the parsley.
Cook the pasta following pack instructions. Reserve a mugful of the cooking water, then drain well. Peel and discard the skins of the cooled garlic and finely chop. Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat and add the peppers, anchovies and walnuts. Cook for 3-5 mins until the anchovies have dissolved, then stir in the garlic, tomato purée and chilli flakes. Cook for a further 3-5 mins until the mixture has turned dark red. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 5 mins.
Scrape the contents into a food processor, add the parmesan and vinegar, then blitz until finely chopped. Season to taste. Stir the pesto through the cooked pasta with a splash of the reserved cooking water, then scatter over the pangrattato to serve.
