Pasta Ca Muddica

During our Catholic Lenten fast growing up, Fridays and Wednesdays were always meat free.  My home is still meatless every Friday. One of our favorite meals continuing through today, is Pasta Ca Muddica/ Pasta with Breadcrumbs.  Its name comes from the breadcrumbs being used, muddica, meaning crumb in Sicilian dialect. Who would ever think a dish like this could bring a family such succulent joy! This simple recipe uses olive oil, fried grated stale bread from a previous meal, since no food was ever wasted but reconstituted into something else, garlic, anchovies, etc. I still follow this no waste principle today.

Its origins began in southern Italy around Sicily where my mom’s family is from as well as other local regions of that area.  It was a dish made by peasants in the past and continues today by the poor and rich alike. The poor used fried breadcrumbs as a substitute for more expensive cheese products to add texture and flavor thus giving it another name,” Poor Man’s Parmesan,” due to its very simple ingredient of breadcrumbs verses the more expensive parmesan cheese.

I hope you enjoy this dish year-round but especially on those meatless days during the Lenten season. Mangia!!!!!

• 1 lb. spaghetti, linguine, bucatini, fettuccine or pasta of your choice

• ½ lb. walnuts, shelled and chopped

• 1 c. breadcrumbs reserving ¼ c. for sprinkling on top

• 4 strips of anchovies

• 4 cloves garlic, chopped

• 3 tbsp. parsley, chopped

• 4 tbsp. olive oil

• grated cheese for serving

Heat a frying pan. Add breadcrumbs. Cook on low heat to toast. Remove. Set aside. Add olive oil to the frying pan and brown garlic to lightly browned. Add anchovies and mix gently. Add walnuts, parsley and breadcrumbs one at a time white stirring. Blend well until mixture is moist. Add more oil as needed to moisten. Cook pasta. Drain. Add mixture. Mix well.

Sprinkle reserved ¼ c. breadcrumbs on top and then some grated cheese

Thanks

Joan Brisimitzakis