Well, I've FINALLY gotten around to cooking something new! Between being sick and starting a new job, and being out of town a lot has meant that I've barely done anything besides work, practice at my martial arts dojo, and spend time with my girlfriend. Whew! Anyways, on to the cooking...
This week's (or it is month's?) recipe hosts a array of classic Mediterranean flavors - garlic, olives, anchovy, parmesan, olive oil, and more! I mean, this recipe seriously has it all. Here are a few tips:
(1) Use great bread for the bread crumbs. Americans have this admittedly understandable, but truly awful (and literally tasteless) habit of using packaged breadcrumbs out of a cardboard cylinder. You know what I'm talking about! Those blue containers at the grocery store that have "original" and "italian" flavored breadcrumbs. Well, be gone bad, cardboardy, and flavorless little devils of the grocery aisle! Instead, buy the BEST bread you can find and make the breadcrumbs yourself! It's easy. Here are some simple instructions:
- Cut the crumbs into thin slices and toast each one until totally dry. Just to be safe, let it sit out over night or for a few days so they are nicely are crunchy.
- Then, pulse them in a food processor until you get crumbs of the right size. If, by the way, you are using bread that is really crusty (e.g., a well-made baguette), then it works better if you pulse the crust separately form the interior (aka the "crumb" of the bread). The reason why is that the crush, being physically harder, will take more pulses.
- Also, don't just run the food processor continuously. If you do, the bread crumbs have a tendency to overheat and get rubbery, which defeats the whole purpose of making bread crumbs that retain their crunchy texture.
(2) Suck it up and buy salt-packed anchovies. First, a LOT of people when they hear of anchovies go, "ewwww! i'll just leave those out..." Well, that is hands-down the biggest mistake you could make for this recipe, or just about any other that calls for anchovies. Anchovies, when used judicially, add an amazing, smoky, briny flavor that don't can't be replicated. Also, they don't taste fishy, especially when cooked into something (e.g., a few fillets are wonderful cooked in a tomato sauce). But, there's a catch - don't buy them unless they are packed in (a) olive oil, preferably extra-virgin, or (b) even better, salt. If you can find them, salt-packed anchovies are well worth the extra dollar or two they'll cost. They are always the best quality.
(3) The lemon in this recipe is key. As an acidic agent, it adds a wonderful balance to the heaviness of the oil. (this is the same reason people add vinegar or lemon juice to vinaigrettes - it cuts through the oilyness, making the dressing taste lighter).
(4) Grilled chicken might work well here. I didn't try it, but I suspect that grilled chicken breast that has been marinated for a few hours in olive oil, white wine, dijon, herbs, garlic, and black pepper would be delicious with this recipe, and provide some protein.
Anyways, here is the recipe! It is an adaptation of a Cook's Illustrated recipe that I like. It serves 4-6.
5 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
6 medium garlic cloves, minced (about 2 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp minced anchovy fillets
1 Tbsp tomato paste
3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed, patted dry, and cut into thin strips
1 cup pitted garlic-marinated green olives, rinsed and coarsely chopped
2 oz bread crumbs from really, really good bread
1 3/4 tsp salt
3/4 lb mezze rigatoni or farfalle
2 oz finely grated parmiggiano-reggiano
3 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1 1/2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
Ground black pepper, to taste
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Combine 3 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp garlic, anchovies, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, sun-dried tomatoes, and olives in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Heat remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in the remaining garlic and 3/4 tsp salt. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant and bread crumbs are dark golden-brown, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer the crumb mixture to a plate to cool. Wipe out the skillet with paper towels.
Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Add the pasta and remaining 1 1/2 tsp salt. While the pasta is cooking, return the now empty skillet to medium heat and add the olive mixture. Cook until the olive mixture is aromatic and the oil has turned rusty red, 4 to 6 minutes longer. Remove 3/4 cup of the pasta water from the pot and add to the skillet. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat while the pasta finishes cooking.
When the pasta is just shy of al dente, drain the pasta, and transfer back to the Dutch oven. Add the olive mixture and toss over medium heat until the pasta absorbs most of the liquid, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup of the parmiggiano. Remove the pot from heat and stir in the parsley, basil, and black pepper.
Serve immediately with the lemon, remaining parmiggiano, and the bread crumbs.
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