Orecchiette with cavolo nero, anchovies & pangrattato

Pangrattato – toasted, crunchy breadcrumbs – add texture to this festive pasta dish. Serve them at the table to ensure they're at peak crispness

  • Prep:15 mins
    Cook:15 mins
  • Serves 4
  • Easy

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 444
  • fat 12g
  • saturates 2g
  • carbs 68g
  • sugars 3g
  • fibre 4g
  • protein 13g
  • salt 1.3g

Ingredients

  • 300g orecchiette (or any short pasta)
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 slices crusty bread (stale if possible), crusts removed and blitzed into breadcrumbs
  • 2 fat red chillies, deseeded and thinly sliced
  • 5 fat garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 8-10 anchovies, in oil, chopped
  • 200g cavolo nero, stalks removed, finely shredded
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced

Method

  1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta following pack instructions. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan and add the breadcrumbs. Toast until they are golden and crispy, then tip out onto a plate and set aside. Wipe the pan clean with kitchen paper.

  2. Heat another 2 tbsp oil in the pan and add the chilli, garlic and anchovies. Sizzle for 1-2 mins but don’t let the garlic brown. Add a drizzle of the oil from the anchovies, stir and set the pan aside.

  3. When the pasta has 2 mins to go, add the cavolo nero. Remove a cup of cooking water before draining the pasta, then tip it into the frying pan and return to the heat. Add a splash of cooking water, the remaining 1 tbsp oil (along with another drizzle from the anchovies if the pasta looks dry) and the lemon zest and juice. Season well and cook for 1-2 mins, tossing everything together and adjusting the seasoning if necessary. Serve in bowls scattered with the pangrattato.

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