Spaghetti with Broccoli & Anchovies

Despite barely leaving the house, having no social engagements or work commute costs, January has been a tight month financially for us. Intending to finish 2020 with a bang after what had been the shitest year on record, we went overboard on buying generous family Christmas gifts and enough ‘naughty’ food and booze we could consume. I guess I’m fortunate that we were able to do so in the first place.

But this month we’ve been ‘skint’, so I’ve tried to go back to ‘basics’ by making cheap, healthy meals. Spaghetti with Broccoli & Anchovies from BBC Good Food is entirely forgettable, however at around 62p per serving it’s a wonderfully affordable option when you want a thrifty pasta dish.

I loved it, mainly because I had all of the ingredients in. My wife hated it, mainly because I burnt the breadcrumbs. I pointed out she was nitpicking and that they were merely ‘well done’. But yeah anyway…. keep an eye on the breadcrumbs and don’t burn them, ok? If you love pasta and are wondering what to do with any leftover anchovies, then pasta puttanesca is the absolute dish to go for and is also cheap to make.

Recipe: Spaghetti with Broccoli & Anchovies

Calories: 480 per serving

Serves: 4

Book: BBC Good Food – eatwell low-fat feasts

Prep time: Approx 5 minutes

Cooking time: Approx 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 350g dried spaghetti
• 350g broccoli
• 3-4 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
• 6 anchovies (chopped)
• 2 red chillies (deseeded and finely chopped)
• 100g white breadcrumbs (made with stale bread)

Cost per portion: Approx £0.62

Method:

Cook the spaghetti in a large pan of boiling salted water, according to packet instructions. Cut the broccoli into small florets, thinly slicing the thick stalks, and throw into the pan of pasta for the last 3 minutes of cooking time.

Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan, add the anchovies and chillies and fry briefly. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes until the crumbs are crunchy and golden.

Drain the spaghetti and return to the pan. Toss with three-quarters of the crumb mixture, some salt and pepper and another tablespoon of the oil, if you like. Serve each portion sprinkled with the remaining crumbs.