Spaghetti con Alici Fresche e PangrattatoSpaghetti with Fresh Anchovies and Toasted Breadcrumbs

Butterfly the fresh anchovies by hand

• 1 Put 1 L water and 500 g ice in a bowl to make ice water.
• 2 Briefly rinse 600 g fresh anchovies in the ice water, remove them 1 at a time and pat dry with paper towels.
• 3 Insert your thumbnail at the base of the head and pull the head off, then slide your finger along the belly to draw out the innards.
• 4 Run the pad of your thumb along the backbone from belly toward tail, opening the flesh out to both sides.
• 5 Gently lift the backbone from head end toward tail and snap it off at the base of the tail.
• 6 Pinch off any remaining dorsal fin and hard belly bones, then briefly swish the opened fish in the ice water.
• 7 Arrange the butterflied fish in a colander and thoroughly pat both sides dry with paper towels.
• 8 Arrange without overlapping on a tray, evenly sprinkle both sides with 5 g of the 6 g fine salt and cover with plastic wrap.

Firm the fish with salt

• 1 MeanwhileWhile it chills, prepare the aromatics and breadcrumbs in step 3 and toast the pangrattato in step 4.
• 2 Place the covered tray on the coldest shelf of the refrigerator and leave for 30 minutes to firm.

Prepare the aromatics and breadcrumbs

• 1 Peel 3 garlic cloves. Crush 2 with the flat of a knife, halve lengthwise and remove the central germ.
• 2 Trim the root from the remaining 1 clove and slice 1 mm thick.
• 3 Remove the stem from 1 dried red chili, roll it between your fingers to release the seeds, then slice into rings.
• 4 Remove the hard crust from 100 g stale country bread and pulse 5–6 times in a food processor to make about 80 g coarse breadcrumbs with pieces 2–3 mm across.
• 5 Pick the leaves from 15 g flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chop and place on a small dish.

Toast the pangrattato

• 1 MeanwhileWhile toasting the breadcrumbs, put 4 L water in a large covered pot and begin heating over high heat.
• 2 Put 30 ml olive oil and the sliced 1 garlic clove in a frying pan and gently infuse over low heat for 2–3 minutes.
• 3 When the garlic is pale golden, remove and discard it, then add all 80 g coarse breadcrumbs.
• 4 Cook over medium-low heat for 5–7 minutes, constantly turning all the crumbs with a wooden spatula.
• 5 Once evenly deep golden, turn off the heat and immediately spread on a tray or shallow dish to cool.

Make the garlic and chili oil

• 1 MeanwhileWhile making the oil, check that the water in the large pot is boiling.
• 2 Put 40 ml olive oil, 2 crushed garlic cloves and the chili rings in a frying pan at least 28 cm in diameter and place over low heat.
• 3 Heat gently for 3–4 minutes, tilting the pan to swirl the oil.
• 4 When the garlic is pale golden, remove with tongs, discard and turn off the heat.

Start cooking the pasta and reserve water

• 1 Add 40 g coarse salt to the boiling water and dissolve.
• 2 When it returns to a boil, add 360 g spaghetti in a fan and push down with cooking chopsticks until completely submerged.
• 3 Use medium-high heat sufficient to circulate the water, and set a timer for 2 minutes less than the package cooking time.
• 4 During the first 1 minute, separate the strands several times with chopsticks to prevent sticking.
• 5 After the pasta has cooked for 4 minutes, ladle 200 ml cooking water into a measuring jug and reserve.

Cook the anchovies briefly

• 1 Take the tray from the refrigerator and lightly pat any moisture from the butterflied fish with paper towels.
• 2 Place the garlic-oil pan over medium heat and arrange the anchovies skin side down without overlapping.
• 3 Pour 30 ml white wine around the edge of the pan and boil over medium heat for 40–50 seconds to dispel the alcohol smell.
• 4 Shake the pan without using a spatula and cook for only 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds.
• 5 When about half the flesh has turned white, turn off the heat, drizzle over 10 ml colatura di alici and shake the pan 2–3 times to combine.

Finish with mantecatura

• 1 When the timer rings, 2 minutes before the package cooking time has elapsed, lift the spaghetti with tongs and transfer to the frying pan without draining too thoroughly.
• 2 Place over medium heat and add 120 ml of the reserved 200 ml cooking water.
• 3 Repeatedly lift and drop bundles of pasta with tongs, tossing for 1 minute 30 seconds to 2 minutes so the sauce is absorbed.
• 4 As the sauce tightens, add the remaining 80 ml cooking water in 40 ml additions to maintain its body.
• 5 Turn off the heat, add 10 g coarsely chopped parsley, 1 g fine salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper, drizzle over 10 ml olive oil and turn everything over broadly 5–6 times.

Plate

• 1 Prepare 4 warmed plates. Lift the pasta high with tongs and twist into a mound in the center of each.
• 2 Spoon the anchovies and sauce remaining in the pan evenly over the pasta on each plate.
• 3 Scatter the cooled pangrattato over the whole surface, 4 tbsp or about 20 g per plate, 80 g in total.
• 4 Distribute the remaining 5 g parsley among the 4 plates, grind 1/4 tsp black pepper evenly over the 4 portions and serve immediately.