I keep a tin of anchovies in the pantry door for one reason: this pasta. Twelve fillets sounds like a lot for a pound of spaghetti, and it is. That is the point. They melt into the oil and stop being fish at all, and what's left is a salty, savory base that makes cherry tomatoes taste twice as sweet.
The first time I made it I skipped the breadcrumb topping because it felt like extra work. Don't do that. The crumbs take about four minutes and they're the part people ask about. You fry panko in butter with a few chopped anchovies, toss it with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and scatter it over the bowl. Crunch on top, soft saucy pasta underneath.
Everything cooks in one skillet and one saucepan, and the whole thing lands on the table in about 30 minutes if you start the pasta water first. Use a pot big enough for the spaghetti, and don't forget to pull a quarter cup of the starchy water before you drain.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Toast the anchovy crumbs
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 4 of the chopped anchovy fillets and cook for 1 minute, until they start to break down into the butter. Stir in the panko and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often, until the crumbs are golden brown.
2. Cool and mix the topping
Scrape the crumbs into a medium bowl and let them come to room temperature. Once cool, toss them with the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Set aside.
3. Melt anchovies into the oil
Heat the 1/4 cup of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the other 6 chopped anchovies and stir for 2 minutes, until they dissolve into the oil.
4. Bloom the garlic and pepper
Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds, just until you can smell them. Don't let the garlic brown.
5. Soften the tomatoes
Add the halved cherry tomatoes and stir to coat them in the oil. Season with the 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and cook for 5 minutes, until the tomatoes just start to slump and release their juice.
6. Reduce the wine
Pour in the white wine and turn the heat down to low. Cook for 5 minutes, until the liquid in the pan has reduced by about half.
7. Toss pasta with the sauce
Add the cooked spaghetti and the reserved 1/4 cup of cooking water to the saucepan. Stir for 1 minute, until every strand is coated and the sauce looks glossy rather than pooled. Drizzle with the last tablespoon of olive oil, taste for salt, and toss again.
8. Top and serve
Divide between bowls and spoon the anchovy breadcrumbs over the top. Zest lemon over each portion and serve right away, while the crumbs are still crisp.
Tips & Tricks
- Salt the pasta water lightly, not heavily. The anchovies and Parmigiano bring plenty of salt on their own.
- Pull the 1/4 cup of cooking water out before you drain, not after. Once it's down the sink it's gone, and that starchy water is what makes the sauce cling.
- Chop the anchovies before you turn on any heat. They break down in seconds once they hit the pan, and you don't want to be fishing whole fillets out of hot oil.
- Let the breadcrumbs cool completely before adding the cheese. Warm crumbs steam and turn the Parmigiano gummy.
Variations
- Add a handful of chopped basil and a small diced onion with the garlic if you want a sweeter, more rounded sauce.
- Swap the anchovies for canned tuna, drained, and add it with the tomatoes. It's a different dish, but it works when someone at the table won't eat anchovies.
- Leave out the red pepper flakes entirely for a kid-friendly version. The sauce still tastes full because of the anchovies and wine.
How to Store Tomato And Anchovy Pasta
Refrigerator
Keep the pasta in a sealed container for up to 3 days. Store the breadcrumbs separately in a small jar at room temperature, or they'll go soft against the sauce.
Freezer
Freeze the sauced pasta without the crumbs for up to 2 months. Let it cool first, then pack it flat. The topping won't survive freezing, so make a fresh batch.
Reheating
Warm the pasta in a covered pan over medium-low heat with a splash of water, stirring until it loosens, about 4 to 5 minutes. Skip the microwave if you can. Add fresh crumbs after reheating, never before.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do the anchovies make it taste fishy?
No, not when you use 12 fillets across 4 servings and cook them until they melt. They read as salt and depth rather than fish. If you're sensitive to it, cut back to 8 fillets total and add a little extra Parmigiano.
Q: Can I use canned tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes?
You can, but the timing changes. A 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes needs closer to 15 minutes on low to thicken, not 5. The cherry version is faster and sweeter, which is why the recipe is built around it.
Q: What if I don't have white wine?
Use 1 cup of chicken or vegetable broth with a squeeze of lemon, and let it reduce the same 5 minutes. The sauce will be a little less bright but still good.
Q: How do I know the pasta is al dente?
Bite a strand about a minute before the package time. It should be tender at the outside with a firm bite at the center. It finishes cooking in the sauce, so pull it early.
Q: Can I make the breadcrumbs ahead?
Yes. Fry them, cool them, and mix in the cheese, then keep them in a jar at room temperature for a day. Re-crisp them in a dry pan for a minute before serving if they've softened.
Tomato And Anchovy Pasta With Crispy Breadcrumbs
Cherry tomatoes, white wine and twelve anchovy fillets make a glossy 30 minute pasta sauce, topped with crisp garlicky breadcrumbs and lemon zest.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1Toast the anchovy crumbs — Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 4 of the chopped anchovy fillets and cook for 1 minute, until they start to break down into the butter. Stir in the panko and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often, until the crumbs are golden brown.
- 2Cool and mix the topping — Scrape the crumbs into a medium bowl and let them come to room temperature. Once cool, toss them with the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Set aside.
- 3Melt anchovies into the oil — Heat the 1/4 cup of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the other 6 chopped anchovies and stir for 2 minutes, until they dissolve into the oil.
- 4Bloom the garlic and pepper — Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds, just until you can smell them. Don't let the garlic brown.
- 5Soften the tomatoes — Add the halved cherry tomatoes and stir to coat them in the oil. Season with the 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and cook for 5 minutes, until the tomatoes just start to slump and release their juice.
- 6Reduce the wine — Pour in the white wine and turn the heat down to low. Cook for 5 minutes, until the liquid in the pan has reduced by about half.
- 7Toss pasta with the sauce — Add the cooked spaghetti and the reserved 1/4 cup of cooking water to the saucepan. Stir for 1 minute, until every strand is coated and the sauce looks glossy rather than pooled. Drizzle with the last tablespoon of olive oil, taste for salt, and toss again.
- 8Top and serve — Divide between bowls and spoon the anchovy breadcrumbs over the top. Zest lemon over each portion and serve right away, while the crumbs are still crisp.
Priya writes about eggs and breakfast casseroles, cookies and bars, and slow cook breakfasts that feed a crowd without fuss. Her angle is flexible, budget-minded cooking: one base recipe that scales for two or for a holiday table, with clear notes on freezing and reheating. She keeps the writing light and story-first, then lands on a tight recipe card.
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