I’ve been visited by the grocery gremlins again.  You know, the ones who devour everything you bring home to cook dinner with so that when you go to make said dinner, the ingredients are now missing, or sometimes the box is still there but it’s now empty and said gremlin put it back without telling you so you wouldn’t know that they ate every last one!? I have three gremlins in this house…I married one and gave birth to the other two.

And yet, despite leaving our cupboards skimpier than a thong, they creep up (like said thong) and begin howling for more food.  What’s a cook to do?

Go on a pantry raid.  With spaghetti, stale bread, olive oil and garlic, I can calm the gremlins.  Here’s how.

SPAGHETTI WITH SPICY BREAD CRUMBS AND GARLIC

2 c. coarse stale bread crumbs (about 3-4 slices chopped up in the food processor or torn into small pieces)
6 Tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic
3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 pound whole wheat spaghetti
1/2 c. grated Parmesan
1/4 c. freshly chopped Basil

Start your pasta water.  When it comes to a boil, toss in a pound of whole wheat spaghetti.

In saute pan, heat 2 Tablespoons of the oil over medium-high until shimmering.

Cook and stir until the breadcrumbs are golden and toasty.  Remove the crumbs.

Pour remaining 4 Tablespoons of olive oil into pan.  Add 3 more cloves of garlic.  Cook over medium until garlic is just golden, not burnt.

Drain spaghetti, reserving 1/4 c. of the cooking water and toss the spaghetti in the pan with the olive oil.  Add 1/4 c. cooking water and toss again.  Shred 1/4 c. Parmesan in and the bread crumb mixture and toss it AGAIN!

Put it in to a warm bowl and sprinkle with freshly chopped basil.   If you’re like my fire-eating husband and want it hotter, toss in some hot pepper sauce or more hot pepper flakes.