Fusilli Col Buco With Toasted Breadcrumbs, Garlic, and Basil Olive Oil is a twist on spaghetti aglio e olio, a traditional Sicilian pasta dish featuring garlic, olive oil, and red chilies. But this classic St. Joseph's Day (San Giuseppe) pasta dish goes several steps further. We take fresh breadcrumbs and brown them in garlic, olive oil, red pepper, and anchovy fillets. Don't be afraid of the anchovies, they bring a complexity to the fusilli dish without tasting fishy. Italians world-wide celebrate St. Joseph's Day, the patron saint of fathers, on March 19th. Come celebrate with us. This dish is easy and delicious.
For this recipe you'll need: olive oil, red pepper flakes, oil-packed anchovy fillets, coarse fresh breadcrumbs, garlic, kosher salt, flat-leaf parsley, pasta.
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St. Joseph's Table (la tavola di San Giuseppe)
St. Joseph's Day, March 19th is, in Italy, also Father's Day which isn't at all surprising since he was the foster father of Jesus. This day is a big feast for Italians especially the Sicilians.
Legends in the middle ages attribute the end of a devastating drought to a prayer-devotion that the Sicilian people made to St. Joseph. This feast is a celebration and thank you to San Giuseppe.
Different Italian regions celebrate this day differently, but they all involve special meatless foods. Traditional etiquette is that no-one can be turned away from the table. Many foods have been added and deleted in the many years but tow constants remain: no meat and breads in symbolic shapes.
Typical dishes at the table:
- Minestrone.
- Pasta with breadcrumbs (we chose Fusilli col buco (hole)) symbolize the sawdust that covered St. Joseph's floor.
- Seafood.
- Sfinge di San Giuseppe is a deep fried treat like a filled cream puff.
- Fava beans, which are considered "lucky" because during the drought, the Fava thrived while other crops failed.
Pasta with breadcrumbs was and is still very popular. The addition of toasted breadcrumbs were in place of cheese since cheese was a luxury. Truly a cucina povera dish. Breadcrumbs on pasta are known as the poor man's cheese. The toasted crumbs bring a nice crunch to the fusilli pasta.
Our Fusilli with toasted breadcrumbs may be a poor man's dish but it is rich with flavor.
Simple ingredients for the Fusilli with Toasted Breadcrumbs served for St. Joseph's Day Feast.
Fusilli col buco our pasta choice for St. Joseph's Day
You can make this dish with any kind of long pasta. Very popular is the malfaldine which are a little like lasagna only thinner. You can see what they look like at Memoire di Angelina.
We like the curlicue fusilli pasta with the hole in the middle. This pasta comes from southern Italy. Originally the Neapolitan housewives would take a fresh bucatino and curl it around a slender knitting needle. Very labor intensive, right?
The fusilli pasta holds a tomato sauce or an olive based sauce well. In fact, the recipe for the fusilli with toasted breadcrumbs is a lot like the famous Spaghetti Aglio e Olio.
1. Prepare the simple ingredients for Pasta with breadcrumbs. 2. Sauté the red pepper flakes in olive oil. 3. Add the anchovies to the oil. 4. Toss the fresh breadcrumbs in the oil.
Difference between spaghetti aglio e olio and Fusilli con la mollica
- Shape of pasta.
- Breadcrumbs on the fusilli
- Spaghetti aglio e olio sometimes is served with Pecorino or Parmesan but that isn't traditional.
- Fusilli con la mollica recipe has anchovies.
Cindy
Question: Basil Olive Oil is so mild tasting especially with ingredients like anchovies and garlic in the mix. Wouldn’t it just be better to sprinkle fresh chopped Basil over the finished product?
Marisa Franca
Hi, Cindy! Certainly you may use the olive oil and then sprinkle the basil. The basil oil we have is really aromatic and we love it. But use what you have. Let me know how you like it. xoxo
Jovina Coughlin
Delicious pasta dish - simple but very flavorful ingredients. who can resist this?
Amanda
Pasta with breadcrumbs is one of my favorite pasta dishes! I really love all of the St. Joseph's Day dishes, too, especially the sfinge. My grandmother also made a savory sfinge variation with anchovies in it that my grandfather loved! I think I will make a big bowl of this delicious Fusilli this weekend. Such simple, beautiful flavors!
Trish Bozeman
We took an Italian cooking class once that made me a believer in using anchovies in pasta dishes. It adds so much saltiness and flavor without being fishy, so I'm definitely giving this pasta dish a try! All about the breadcrumbs!
Dana
I thought you had me at breadcrumbs, but when I saw anchovies, I was like, HELL YES. Anchovies add such a fabulous saltiness to pasta dishes like this. (And those King Oscar anchovies are the absolute BEST). I've never seen these particular noodles before and I'm very excited about them. They look so good and like they'd coat nicely.
Debra
My mouth is watering. All things I love in a dish. Flavor from the anchovies and garlic. Texture from the breadcrumbs. Not too time consuming to make. Going into this weeks rotation for sure.
Traci
Yum! You had me at fusilli...and I love the texture and flavor of breadcrumbs and anchovies sauteed together. Another winner in my book! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Jenni LeBaron
I honestly think that the best pasta recipes always have the most simple ingredients. It allows all the complexity of the olive oil and the herbs to shine. I think that the anchovy fillets sound wonderful in this as well. Great recipe, Marisa!
Tracy
Wow, I definitely don't have enough fusilli pasta in my life! I've never had it and what a shame!! This dish looks amazing. All of those Italian flavors sound incredible!
Julie Menghini
What a fun pasta shape. I think the simpler the better when it comes to pasta and this may be a poor man's dish but we would enjoy it any time. I don't put anchovies on my pizza like my dad did but it's amazing what they do to a dish and how they just "disappear" when you use them leaving their lovely deep flavor behind. I'm saving this one and can't wait to try it!
Daniela
I know that this is going to sound strange, but I LOVE the taste of anchovies. I'm always looking for recipes to put them in, so you just made my day with this delicious fusili. And those breadcrumbs on top look to die for. I can't wait to make this!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
I have only cooked that fun pasta once. Now I want to head to the store and pick some up. Putting it on my grocery list right now. This would be a fun and delicious dinner to feed a crowd (like when ALL the kids come over for dinner).
Lisa
I really love recipes that have a history behind them like your Fusilli Con Buco. It adds meaning and context to what would normally be just a tasty pasta recipe. Those toasted breadcrumbs with the anchovies sound like they would add a salty, umami that would really amp up the flavor of the fusili. Love that bit of heat from the crushed red pepper too. So you say noone can be turned away from the table? I'm on my way!
Jo
Pasta can never be boring! That is one amazing mouthwatering pasta dish. Anything toasted with breadcrumbs is nothing but delicious! Truly comforting!
Analida Braeger
My mouth is WATERING ! I cant wait to try this myself! Your recipe is well described and looks so easy to make . Thanks for sharing 🙂
Charity
Everything you make, makes me drool! I love Italian food but know so little about it. Every time I come to your site I realize that I need to try more authentic recipes!
Natalie
Pasta with breadcrumbs? Oh my I have to give this a try. It looks and sounds super delicious. And it's easy to make. Perfect family dinner during weekdays. I'm saving this!
Kelly Anthony
So simple, yet so much flavor! This pasta dish is exactly what our weeknight dinner rotation needs! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Nicoletta De Angelis Nardelli
A big feast indeed, St. Joseph's day! I was lucky to be in Rome with my dad and celebrate with them. I love this pasta, a sophisticated version of aglio e olio, very tasty and filling. Great tips, too!
Julie
Oh my goodness, this sounds delicious! I love that you included anchovies - I cook with them frequently, and even self-proclaimed fish haters never realize they are in there. I agree that they add so much richness without an overly fishy flavor.
Anne
This is such a delicious bowl of pasta and sauce
Denise
This looks amazing! Such a comforting and filling dish that the whole family would love! Thanks for sharing it!
Dee | Grammy's Grid
YUM! Shared ♥
Carrie | Clean Eating Kitchen
This looks like the ultimate comfort food dish, so full of flavor! Love the texture you get from the breadcrumbs too! Look forward to trying it soon!
Elaine Benoit
I love anchovies, so I won't be skipping them. I've never had this dish but I have had pasta aglio e olio and I love it! I think the addition of the breadcrumbs would bring the pasta to a whole new level!
Sylvia
Ive never had this before, but it sounds delicious! Thanks for linking up with us at the #WednesdayAIMLinkParty 33
Lois Christensen
We would love this and my husband would love the anchovies! We will definitely be including them!
Veena Azmanov
Amazing and best dish for my family. They too enjoy it. Cant wait to try it out.
Jolina
We love aglio e olio and I love this delicious twist on that! It's so simple but the simple ones are always the best recipes, right?? PS: My brother's name is Joseph and his birthday is on March 20...it all just made sense to me now lol.
Gloria
What a fun shape for pasta. This sounds just like what I need...and a glass of wine. Spring has sprung...yet it is still cold!! I think I know what we are having for dinner tonight!!
giancarlo cenciarini
Grande MarisaGrazie molte nel nome di tutti gli italiani,,tu ci fai onore. Mi piacerebbe sapere della tua vita.Grazie di nuovo dalla lontana isola del British Columbia.Con affetto e ammirazione,Gian carlo.
Marisa Franca
Grazie, GianCarlo! Sei molto gentile. Buon Weekend!