In the Italian culture, the date March 19th is a significant one; it is the day that we honour St. Joseph and all fathers. While most are familiar with the sweet side of this celebration, Zeppole di San Giuseppe; there are several food traditions associated with this feast day.
Because this feast day falls during the Lenten fast, the Roman Catholic church grants a dispensation allowing those named Joseph to celebrate their name day. A “festive fast” of meatless foods is allowed which means that St. Joseph’s altars (elaborate tables set in three tiers, representing the Holy Trinity) are laden with fish, fava beans (considered “lucky beans”), fig dishes and foods containing breadcrumbs.
In Italy’s south, in the region of Sicily where this saint reigns supreme, he is honored with Spaghetti di San Giuseppe, a simple yet satisfying specialty prepared in honor of their patron. Silky strands of pasta are topped with a savory combination of olive oil, breadcrumbs, garlic, anchovies and parsley. This golden topping is made to resemble sawdust as St. Joseph was a carpenter. In addition, this type of crumb coating on pasta has often been referred to as the poor man’s Parmigiano (cheese was at one time something only the elite could afford to enjoy).
While this pasta dish is most commonly associated with the feast of San Giuseppe it is not uncommon to see it on the menu of a Christmas Eve cenone.
This savory and sainted dish is one in a bounty of food laid out for the festive banquet and is preceded by a blessing and the rejoicing cries of “Viva la Tavola di San Giuseppe”
This year, in addition to enjoying zeppole to commemorate this feast day, twirl up some Spaghetti di San Giuseppe as well. Buon Appetito e Buon Onomastico!
Spaghetti di San Giuseppe
Ingredients
- 9 anchovy fillets in olive oil, drained
- sea salt
- 1-pound spaghetti
- ½ cup olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- Large pinch of chili flakes
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- ⅔ cup breadcrumbs
Directions
Warm 2 tablespoon olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat then add ¾ cup of fresh breadcrumbs and stir to coat with oil.
Cook, stirring constantly, until the crumbs are golden brown and crunchy, about 5 minutes. Set the breadcrumbs aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add the 2 tablespoons of sea salt before adding in the spaghetti to boil. Fresh spaghetti will cook in a couple of minutes, but if using dried then cook until al dente.
While the spaghetti is cooking, finely chop 6 of the anchovy fillets; cut the remaining 3 into ½-inch pieces and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat, add the garlic, chili flakes and chopped anchovies. Stir the sauce until the anchovies have dissolved then add in a ¼ cup of the pasta water. Allow to simmer rapidly for approximately one minute then remove from the heat.
Stir in the parsley and remaining anchovies.
Drain your pasta reserving approximately 1 cup of the cooking water.
Add the pasta to the skillet with the anchovy sauce tossing until all the strands are coated. If the mixture seems dry, then add some of the reserved cooking liquid.
Set aside 2 tablespoons of the toasted bread crumbs and add the remaining crumbs to the pasta and toss once again.
Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl or individual bowls, sprinkle with the reserved bread crumbs and serve.
