Garlic Lemon Bucatini Pasta with Toasted Breadcrumbs
Serves 6
Any long pasta will work well in this recipe, but we prefer bucatini—a thicker, hollow spaghetti that becomes the star ingredient with a simple lemon-caper sauce.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces bucatini
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided use)
- 1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 3 tablespoons grated lemon zest, drained (3-4 lemons)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
Optional Ingredients
- Grated parmesan cheese
Directions
- Cook pasta as package directs. Before straining, reserve 1 cup of cooking water.
- While pasta cooks, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, deep sauté pan. Add breadcrumbs to toast, stirring frequently until crisp and golden. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer breadcrumbs to a bowl. Stir in parsley and pine nuts. Set aside.
- Wipe pan with a paper towel, and heat remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté one minute. Add capers, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Stir and season with salt and pepper.
- Add drained pasta to sauté pan and toss with sauce. Add reserved pasta cooking water, as needed. Taste and adjust seasoning to preference.
- Top with toasted breadcrumbs. Serve immediately with Parmesan, if desired.
Cook’s Tips
To make your own breadcrumbs, pulse leftover dried rustic bread in a food processor.
Nutrition
Amount Per Serving (based on 6 servings)- Calories: 470
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Sodium: 95.0 mg
- Carbohydrates: 87.0 g
- Fiber: 1.0 g
- Added Sugars: 1.0 g
- Sugar: 0 g
- Protein: 11.0 g