Linguine with zesty, herby breadcrumbs
Ingredients
- 80g dry, day-old bread
- 90ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tbsp extra for frying
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds, toasted
- 3 tbsp fresh dill, fronds and stems chopped
- 1 unwaxed lemon, zested and juiced
- Salt and pepper
- 360g linguine
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 75g pine nuts, toasted and roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp fresh parsley, leaves and stems chopped
- 3 tbsp fresh basil, leaves and stems chopped
- 100g pitted green olives
- 4 tbsp capers
- 50g vegan parmesan, grated
Method
Put the bread in a food processor and blitz to fine crumbs. Heat a tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan on a medium heat, add the fennel seeds and breadcrumbs, and cook, stirring occasionally, for four to five minutes, until golden and fragrant. Leave to cool, then toss with the dill, the zest of half the lemon, salt and pepper.
Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to the packet instructions, until al dente, then drain, reserving a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid.
Meanwhile, mix the garlic, pine nuts, parsley, basil, half the olives and half the capers in a serving bowl. Finely chop the remaining olives and capers, add to the bowl with the lemon juice and the remaining oil and lemon zest, then toss and season to taste.
Add the pasta and a splash of the reserved cooking liquid, and toss again, adding one to two tablespoons of parmesan at a time until the sauce coats the pasta. Serve the pasta topped with the zesty, herby breadcrumbs.
