Anchovy

Sicilian Pantry Pasta

by:
November 16, 2012
0
0 Ratings
Sicilian Pantry Pasta
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

This recipe was born out of a hungry crowd and not a lot of food in the fridge. Some Sicilian staples combine with pasta and breadcrumbs to create a delicious family favorite. I love the combination of salty tuna with the sweet currants and the crunch from the breadcrumbs. While you generally don't add cheese to fish pastas, this works because most of it just flavors the breadcrumbs and it holds up to the tuna. —Meatballs&Milkshakes

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 box linguine or other long strand pasta
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 onion, chopped into small dice
  • 4 anchovies
  • 1/2 cup currants, soaked in 4 tablespoons of sherry or wine
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs from day-old bread
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan (or pecorino)
  • 1-2 cans Italian tuna in oil, depending on the size of the cans
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
Directions
  1. Cook the pasta in salted, boiling water a minute short of package instructions.
  2. Meanwhile, saute the onion, red pepper flakes, and anchovies in a couple tablespoons of olive oil, until the onion softens. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the tuna, pine nuts, and currants with their liquid, and allow to cook together 2 minutes. Add the pasta and a little of the pasta cooking water.
  3. In another pan, toast the breadcrumbs in a tablespoon of olive oil until they start to turn a little brown. Add most of the grated cheese and toss to combine. Pour the toasted breadcrumbs over the pasta and combine. Serve immediately with the rest of the grated cheese and parsley sprinkled on top. Optional, drizzle a little extra olive oil over the top to finish it.
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Meatballs&Milkshakes
I'm an ex-finance, nonprofit fundraiser by day and a (mostly) Italian cook and blogger by night. I love having friends over for dinner and my favorite evenings are when we spend them at home together cooking dinner and chatting. I'm an avid cooking show fan, and my favorite eating cities are New York, San Francisco, Paris, and Rome.

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8 Reviews

back T.
back T. October 23, 2017
Just had it for dinner, and really enjoyed it. Better than expected! One of the best pasta recipe I have tried. Thanks for the recipe.
 
lapadia
lapadia February 21, 2014
Yum, love this!

The recipe ingredients come close to (as kids) what we called spaghetti pie. All the adult Italian cooks (friends or family) would use broken cooked spaghetti with many of these similar tasting ingredients and then bake enclosed in a double pie crust that was on the sweeter side. I never knew the “real” name of the recipe nor have I been successful in getting the taste I remember.

This sounds so close to what I have experimented with - but up a notch.

Question to anybody who may read this: Does anybody know the pie I am talking about…the name? We usually had this pie for special occasions and always at Easter.
 
lapadia
lapadia February 21, 2014
Almost forgot, we would eat a slice of this pie room temp, sometimes cold; as I recall a great recipe to make ahead.
 
Meatballs&Milkshakes
Meatballs&Milkshakes February 21, 2014
Sounds like a pasta timpano. Basically, pasta encased in pie dough that you slice. An example:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mario-batali/pasta-old-fashioned-style-to-cover-pasta-alantica-per-timpano-recipe.html
 
lapadia
lapadia February 22, 2014
Hi M&M! thanks so much for your input! :) but definitely not in the timpano category, I know timpano. The recipe more resembles that of an apple pie and slices can easily be eaten by hand = a regular pie crust in looks.
 
lapadia
lapadia February 22, 2014
Looks similar to the looks of this pie recipe I have onsite:
http://food52.com/recipes/6778-kohlrabi-bacon-pie
 
healthierkitchen
healthierkitchen November 16, 2012
Love this one too!
 
Meatballs&Milkshakes
Meatballs&Milkshakes November 16, 2012
thanks!!