Spaghetti with Bread Crumbs

My husband doesn’t eat much pasta, so it was very nice to try a pasta recipe for one serving. The recipe reflects the Italian frugality that I like so much. Take a heel of bread, an end of cheese, and a few other items that are perpetually in the kitchen and you’ve got a quick lunch or dinner.

Even though my bread was day-old, I wasn’t quite able to get a big range of crumb sizes. There was still too much moisture. However as the crumbs toasted in the pan, they crisped up and I was able to smash them down a bit little more with my spoon to get finer particles. The fennel was an inspired addition and rounded everything out beautifully.

We followed this recipe precisely, increasing the amounts to serve 4 people. Everyone loved this meal and asked that we make it again soon. The bread and fennel crumbs are DELICIOUS and it would make sense to double or triple the quantities to have them on hand for pasta or vegetables.

Easy enough for a 10-year-old to put together quickly!

Great recipe for nights when the cupboard is getting bare and you can’t stand another takeout meal. This really falls into the “comfort food” category for me. It’s easy to do, because we always seem to have some day-old bread in the house.

Any pasta will work, but I think I like the smaller shapes here. I used ziti. I think the grated cheese really bumps this up to another level. I didn’t miss the pancetta or eggs, although I agree that this is as appealing as pasta alla carbonara.

Next time I make this, I will try adding some fresh, finely chopped marjoram or oregano just before serving. I was a little timid with the pepper flakes because of some of my fellow diners…next time I’ll be more generous.

This pasta recipe is extremely simple and quick. You can use this as a dinner for one or as an accompaniment to an entrée for two.

The only bread crumbs I had on hand were cubes of cornbread in my freezer, so I opted to use 3/4 cup panko instead. This was a great choice. But I think any bread crumbs would do nicely. The dish is wonderful as described, but if you’re feeling a bit adventurous, toss the pasta in the skillet with the crumbs and spices, fry the pasta for a couple of minutes, turn off the heat and sprinkle it with the cheese. After you mix it up a little, you can serve it right from the skillet.

This could be called the “almost any type of old bread” wonder pasta! So simple, yet so good. Will definitely make this one again!

So, true confession…I didn’t have a baguette or French bread, but I did have some English muffins that met the definition of “dry, day-old” bread, so because I really wanted to give this recipe a try, I commenced making the dish. It was still bread, after all. What a surprise! Such simple ingredients combined together to make a really good dish.

I would never have thought to essentially add croutons to spaghetti, but you know what, it was so good! I couldn’t get enough of those little crunchy bits with the pasta and cheese. I did opt to add a little Romano cheese, but it really didn’t need a lot.

What it does need is seasoning. When it says to “generously salt and pepper” the bread crumbs, make sure that you are not shy with the seasoning because it will have to spread throughout the pasta.

Also, make sure that your water is well salted, as the recipe states, because this adds to the flavor. Try not to concern yourself with your sodium intake, just concern yourself with making sure that the flavor is right, as the seasoning during these stages make all the difference between having a bland pasta dish to having one that is full of flavor.

Any recipe that uses “frugal” in its description calls out to me! Unlike the description that suggests preparing this for one, I prepared it multi-fold for a gathering, thinking it would be a perfect cooler weather meal for a small crowd. It’s quick to prepare, flavorful with a deeply satisfying combination of garlic, pepper, and fennel seeds, and making it with whole-wheat pasta adds yet another layer of flavor to this delicious mix.

That said, the amount of bread for bread crumbs as specified was too much for the pasta, and much of the crisped crumb mixture was left behind after my guests served themselves. We used quite a bit of oil, somewhat beyond a little drizzle atop the finished dish, in addition to the grated cheese topping since the overabundance of bread crumbs made the dish a bit dry. Despite these quibbles, everyone went back for seconds, and I’ll make this again, I’m sure. After all, less bread crumbs happily means an even more frugal dish.

What else would I do differently? I might add some vegetables. In keeping with the frugal framework, this recipe could easily accommodate nearly any vegetable, from a (artichoke hearts) to z (zucchini). And I’d like to try it with a smaller shaped pasta for ease of eating as well as visual appeal.

This is a simple yet tasty recipe. Unlike Americans, Italians don’t mind pairing a couple carbs together. (One of my favorite Italian dishes is pasta with potatoes.) The recipe came together quickly and easily and the peppery, garlicky bread crumbs gave the dish a nice crunch.

I may use just a clove less garlic next time, but overall it’s a great pasta to serve, especially with a hearty salad.

This dish is perfect to put together after a long day when you don’t want to go out and grab groceries. It was so simple yet so yummy. It was full of flavor and incredibly easy to prepare. The entire recipe really only takes as much time as it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta.

I used the only long pasta I had in the house—angel hair. It cooked quickly and tasted wonderful. I needed to add a significant amount of olive oil to the finished product, as the oil absorbed quickly into the hot pasta. The red pepper flakes added just the right amount of warmth to the dish. The recipe doubles easily.

I love how simple and uncomplicated this recipe is. We made it one very chilly evening. My family huddled around the pot of boiling water waiting for the pasta to be perfectly al dente. They were so surprised when it took mere minutes to throw the topping together.

Definitely don’t forget the pecorino Romano—it raises this dish from very good to sensational.

This is an easy recipe that satisfies. Making the bread crumb mixture was easy, and I also added other greens—thyme and scallions—to the mix. Toasting was easy, and the garlic tied the flavors together nicely. The fennel seeds are a nice touch, and the pepper flakes bring a kick.

I mixed the bread crumb mixture with the cooked linguini, added a bit of oil, salt, pepper, and Parmesan, and was set!

If I had to change anything, I’d add a squeeze of citrus to possibly add a bit of acid. I also think a poached or fried egg would be delicious atop the pasta.

This is exactly what I want to eat when I’m home alone and STARVING. This recipe makes a very hearty portion—go lighter on the breadcrumbs if you’re not climbing the walls with hunger. I tossed the pasta right from the pot into the breadcrumbs in the skillet and it was perfect. The pasta still had a bit of cooking water clinging to it; otherwise, I think this dish could get pretty dry pretty fast.

Use a heavy hand when it comes to the garlic and spices, trust me.

A very simple dish that I’ve made very often. I always have the ingredients on hand, even homemade toasted bread crumbs. A new way to do them was adding the fennel seeds and I loved it.

This dish is quick, cheap, and yummo. Definitely a keeper.

This is an excellent weeknight standby for something a little different with pasta. It was easy, quick, and straightforward.

I added some chicken with a summer savory seasoning mix that the husband says bumped this from an 8 to a 9.