Spaghetti with Walnuts, Anchovy and Parsley

Ingredients:

3/4-1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup bread crumbs
2 oz anchovies in olive oil
5 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
bunch Italian parsley, chopped
3/4 lb spaghetti
Parmesan for sprinkling


Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook to al dente.

Meanwhile, heat a large, dry skillet. Add the bread crumbs, red pepper flakes, and walnuts and toast, stirring occasionally, until the bread crumbs and walnuts are golden. Remove to a heat-safe bowl and set aside.


Heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil in the same pan. Add the anchovies (with their oil) and garlic and saute until the anchovies have dissolved and the garlic is lightly browned. Add drained spaghetti and 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Stir in the parsley until it wilts a bit. Stir in the walnuts and bread crumbs.

Divide among 4 plates sprinkle with parm.

My thoughts:

I love recipes that can be made with simple ingredients but which yield great results. I was reading a book recently and one of the characters comes home and makes something similar to this from ingredients they had on hand. It sounded so good that I made a mental note to try it soon.

When I googled the combination, I came across some references for this (or a similar dish) being made during the holiday season in Italy as one of the seafood dishes traditional to a Neapolitan Christmas Eve. I can see why. It is so quick and easy to make a requires virtually zero prep and few ingredients. You might even have all of the ingredients on hand right now! It's really satisfying as a main dish (serve with a salad and/or garlic bread) or as a starter to a huge feast.

I always have anchovies on hand because they add so much depth to sauces and salad dressings so it was fun to let it be the focus of a dish. I think some areas of Italy must favor walnuts over pinenuts and I can see why-- they had a great flavor in this dish and are a fraction of the price. I bought a huge bag of walnuts at Aldi for under $3 and have a ton leftover.

I can't wait to make this cozy dish again, it's the perfect dinner for busy nights.