Recipes › Kale › Kale and Anchovy Pasta with Toasted Breadcrumbs
Kale and Anchovy Pasta with Toasted Breadcrumbs
This is a proper southern Italian storecupboard supper — punchy, savoury, and on the table in under 30 minutes. Kale wilts into the pasta cooking water to form a silky, garlicky sauce bolstered by melted anchovies and finished with golden, garlicky breadcrumbs for crunch. It is the kind of dish that tastes like you planned it all along.
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Ingredients
- 300 g curly kale, thick stems removed, leaves roughly torncavolo nero works well here too
- 400 spaghettior linguine
- 50 g anchovy fillets in oil, drained, oil reserved
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
- 80 g stale white bread, blitzed into coarse breadcrumbssourdough makes excellent crumbs
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt
- 1 pinch black pepper, freshly ground
Contains: cereals gluten, fish.
Method
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil. Add the kale and cook for 3 minutes until just tender. Scoop the kale out with tongs and set aside — keep the water at a rolling boil.About 5 min
- Cook the spaghetti in the kale water according to packet instructions until al dente. Before draining, scoop out 200ml of the pasta cooking water and reserve.About 10 min
- While the pasta cooks, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the breadcrumbs and a pinch of salt and toast, stirring constantly, for 3–4 minutes until deep golden and crisp. Tip onto a plate and set aside.About 4 min
- In a large, wide pan, heat the reserved anchovy oil and 2 tablespoons of olive oil over a medium heat. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook gently for 2 minutes until the garlic is soft and fragrant but not coloured. Add the anchovy fillets and stir until they have completely melted into the oil, about 1 minute.About 3 min
- Add the blanched kale to the anchovy pan and stir to coat thoroughly in the oil. Pour in 100ml of the reserved pasta water and let it bubble for 1 minute, then add the drained spaghetti directly into the pan.About 2 min
- Toss everything together vigorously over a medium heat, adding more pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce coats the pasta in a loose, glossy emulsion. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and toss again. Taste and adjust seasoning.About 2 min
- Divide between warmed bowls, pile the toasted breadcrumbs generously on top and finish with a crack of black pepper. Serve immediately.
Tips
- Do not let the garlic colour — the moment it turns golden it will turn bitter and dominate everything. Keep the heat gentle.
- Blanching the kale in the pasta water first means it infuses the water with flavour and the kale cooks properly, not just wilts unevenly in the pan.
- The breadcrumbs are essential — they add the texture and richness that cheese would usually provide, so do not skip them.
Ring the changes
- For a vegetarian version, omit the anchovies and add 1 tablespoon of capers and an extra pinch of chilli flakes to keep that punchy, savoury quality.
- Add 150g of cooked white beans to the pan with the kale for a more substantial, protein-rich supper.
Keeping it
Best eaten immediately. Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days but the breadcrumbs will soften — refresh in a dry frying pan if possible.
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