My husband, Ed, comes from a small family that was focused on his mom’s ancestry in Sicily, Italy. Given that Italy was and is a Catholic country, many of his relatives share the same name – in honor of St. Joseph.
In his family’s tradition as well as many other Italian families, the first son takes his first name from his paternal grandfather and his middle name from his maternal grandfather. Hence my husband is Edward Joseph Riegl. His mother was Josephine, her mother was Josephine and her father was Joseph. To give you a bit more insight, his and his sister, LuAnn D, godmother’s (his mom’s first cousin) name was Josephine and you guessed it, her father’s name was Joseph – you get the idea. I can only imagine how confusing it was at meal time “Jo(e), please pass the salad.”
Based upon this, you will probably not be surprised that they celebrated the feast day of St. Joseph on March 19 with this pasta dish when Ed was growing up. This dish is also called Sawdust or Carpenter’s Pasta as the breadcrumbs resemble sawdust and remind us that St. Joseph was a carpenter.
Like the carpenter and person that he was, this dish is made with “simple” ingredients. If possible, make your own or look for fresh breadcrumbs – in a pinch you can use shelf-stable ones.
Traditionally this pasta also includes anchovies which add a bit of umami and some more depth. Ed isn’t an anchovy fan, so we skipped them. If you like them, you can use whole anchovies or the equivalent in anchovy paste and stir until they are dissolved so nobody knows they are there.
The base for the sauce is cooked-down onions and tomatoes. There should be more onions than tomatoes. In the end the tomatoes should reach a jam-like consistency. Remember to top this dish with some freshly grated cheese and a pinch or three of fresh basil.
Even if there’s no Joseph in your name, I hope you enjoy this lovely simple pasta dish. It’s perfect for a Friday in Lent or a Meatless Monday.
| St. Joseph’s Day Pasta | Print |
- 8 ounces linguine
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- ⅓ cup bread crumbs (preferably fresh)
- 4 anchovies or equivalent anchovy paste (optional)
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
- 10 to 12 ounces grape tomatoes, sliced in half
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and freshly torn basil
- Prepare the pasta according to the directions until al dente. Assuming pasta takes about 10 minutes to cook, add it to the water when you add the tomatoes to the skillet.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the breadcrumbs, mix to coat, and cook until toasted and lightly brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer breadcrumbs to a plate and set aside.
- In same skillet over medium-high heat, add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. If using anchovies (or equivalent anchovy paste), add them now and stir until they dissolve. Then add onion and cook until soft, about 8 minutes.
- Add garlic and red pepper flakes, stir for 1 minute.
- Add sliced tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are very soft and jam-like, about 10 minutes. Season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Add cooked pasta to the sauce and stir. Transfer to bowls.
- Top pasta with breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese and freshly torn pieces of basil.
- Serve immediately.
Can’t wait to try this, it looks “simply” divine!!
Mary – I hope you like it!