Paccheri with capers, olives, anchovies and fried breadcrumbs

SERVES 4-6

“The first time I drove along Cilento’s Tyrrhenian Coast, I was astounded by the natural spectacle of the place,” says Parla. “Caper plants clung to sheer cliffs around one turn, while the next revealed olive orchards teetering on impossibly vertical terraced farmland. Cilento’s verdant beauty is occasionally interrupted by a tiny village where fishermen cast their nets into some of Italy’s most pristine waters, raising wriggling anchovies from the Tyrrhenian Sea. This dish is an homage to Campania’s most unspoiled coastline. The pane grattugiato fritto makes more than you need but can easily be halved, or stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. ‘Frying’ the breadcrumbs in the oven helps them stay crisp.” 60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive

oil, plus extra for drizzling 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 4 salted anchovy fillets

(see note), cleaned

110 gm (¾ cup) Gaeta olives

(see note), rinsed and pitted 55 gm (¼ cup) capers, rinsed 450 gm dried paccheri (see note) PANE GRATTUGIATO FRITTO 220 gm (about 8 slices) dry rustic bread with crusts, torn into bite-sized pieces 60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil 2 tsp dried oregano or chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 For pane grattugiato fritto, preheat oven to 120°C. Toss the bread, olive oil and oregano in a large bowl until well combined. Spread the bread mixture on a rimmed oven tray and bake until crisp and completely dry (20-25 minutes). Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Transfer to a food processor and pulse until broken down to the size of coarse coffee grounds. Makes 2 cups.

2 Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over low heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add garlic and anchovies, and cook until the garlic begins to turn golden and the anchovies have melted into the oil (about 2 minutes). Add the olives and capers and cook, stirring, for another minute. Turn off the heat and let the ingredients bloom in the hot oil. 3 Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the paccheri and cook until al dente (8-10 minutes). Drain, reserving pasta water, and add the pasta to the pan with the olives and capers, stirring to coat. Add some pasta cooking water as needed to loosen the sauce. Season with salt. Plate, and sprinkle each portion with the fried seasoned breadcrumbs and drizzle with olive oil.

Note Salted anchovies are available from select delicatessens. Substitute anchovies in oil. Gaeta olives are available from select delicatessens. I can’t overstate the importance of using high-quality olives. With the south’s simple recipes, each flavour is conspicuous; the reason such basic recipes are so good is that they rely on ingredients at their peak. In Italy, it’s not a luxury to have a family olive grove and plenty of home cooks have access to handharvested and naturally cured olives. Avoid canned or pre-sliced olives. If you don’t have a good Italian deli in your neighbourhood, look for purveyors of Greek, Turkish, North African or Middle Eastern foods. If you can only find seasoned olives, rinse them before using, or cure your own. Paccheri is available from select delicatessens; substitute rigatoni or other tubular pasta.