Fridge Raid Friday Breadcrumb Pasta
Friday night, fridge looking a bit sorry for itself, and you still want something that feels proper special. That's exactly where this recipe was born. We absolutely love this one because it takes the most humble ingredients and turns them into something genuinely impressive. The golden, garlicky breadcrumbs are the real star here, giving you this incredible crunch against the pasta that feels indulgent without being complicated. Make this tonight and we promise you'll be wondering why you ever bothered with a takeaway.
Before You Start
- Blender
- Large pan
- Small pan
- Pasta pan
- Bowl
- Paper towels
Ingredients
- 500g good quality spaghetti
- 1 lemon
- olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 25g chopped parsley
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 loaf of slightly stale bread
- 100ml oat milk or oat cream
- 3 tbsp sun-dried tomato pesto
- 5 sage leaves
- olive oil
Method
Make the breadcrumbs
- Place 250g bread into the blender and blend until you have a breadcrumb like consistency.
Cook the breadcrumbs - Peel and dice the garlic.
- Place a large pan over a medium heat and add a very good drizzle of olive oil.
- Once warm, add the breadcrumbs, garlic and a good pinch of salt.
- Mix well and cook until the breadcrumbs turn golden.
- Once golden, mix through the chopped parsley.
- Once everything comes together, spoon the breadcrumbs into a bowl and fry the sage.
Fry the sage leaves
- Place a pan over a medium heat and add a good glug of oil.
- Once hot, add the sage leaves and fry until crispy.
- Once crispy, remove and place on some paper towel.
Cook the pasta
- Cook the pasta in a pan of salted water for 1 minute less than stated on the packet, saving some pasta water for the mixture.
Make the sauce
- Heat the oat milk or cream in a pan over a medium heat.
- Once warm, mix through the sun-dried tomato pesto.
Fold through the pasta
- Once the sauce is warm, fold through most of the breadcrumbs and the pasta, a dash of pasta water, the zest of 1 lemon.
- Cook until everything is piping hot.
Time to serve - Once the pasta has cooked, spoon onto a plate and top with the leftover breadcrumbs and some crispy sage and pepper.
Tips & Variations
- Use stale bread: This is one of those recipes where slightly old bread actually works better than fresh. It blends into crumbs more easily and crisps up faster in the pan, so don't throw that loaf end away.
- Don't skimp on the olive oil: We know it feels like a lot, but this is what makes the breadcrumbs go golden and delicious rather than dry and sad. Be generous here, trust us on this one.
- Add a bit of chilli: Henry always throws in a pinch of chilli flakes with the garlic for a gentle kick. It's not essential but it really lifts the whole thing if you like a bit of heat.
Why This Works
The trick here is getting those breadcrumbs properly golden before you do anything else. Don't rush that stage. Once they're toasted in olive oil with the garlic and salt, they develop this nutty, almost crispy texture that coats the pasta beautifully and gives every forkful something interesting to bite into. The parsley stirred through at the end keeps it feeling fresh and bright, which is exactly what you need to balance all that richness.