Pasta with olives, capers, and breadcrumbs or Scammaro is a classic dish from Neapolitan culinary tradition—simple yet packed with flavor. This recipe has its roots in peasant cooking, where every ingredient was precious and nothing went to waste. Born from the need to create tasty dishes with whatever was available, it transforms humble ingredients into a masterpiece of flavors.
Quick and Flavorful: A Simple, Traditional Dish for Any Occasion
Preparing it is incredibly easy and quick: it only takes about 15 minutes to serve a delicious dish perfect for any occasion. It’s ideal for those who are short on time but still want to enjoy a healthy and flavorful meal. With just a few basic ingredients—olives, capers, and breadcrumbs—you get a perfect combination of crunch, savoriness, and a delightful intensity of taste. It’s a dish that feels like home, full of ancient traditions and a sense of community, sure to satisfy even the most discerning palates.
How to Make Pasta Scammaro
To make Pasta Scammaro, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted water, following the package instructions until al dente. While the pasta cooks, heat a small amount of olive oil in a large nonstick pan. Toast the breadcrumbs over medium heat until golden and crispy, then set them aside. In another large pan, add a generous amount of olive oil and whole garlic cloves. Let them brown slightly to release their aroma, then remove them if desired. Add the oil-packed anchovies and mash them with a wooden spoon until they dissolve. Stir in the capers, Kalamata olives, and raisins. Once the pasta is ready, drain it and transfer it directly to the pan with the sauce. Toss over medium heat, adding a little pasta cooking water if needed for a creamy consistency. Sprinkle the toasted breadcrumbs over the pasta and toss everything together. Serve immediately while hot, optionally finishing with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to enhance the flavor.
Choosing Ingredients Carefully: The Secret to Perfect Pasta with Olives and Capers
When preparing a simple recipe with just a few ingredients, like scammaro, the quality of the ingredients truly makes a difference. Choosing each item carefully is crucial for achieving an excellent result and honoring the tradition behind this dish. Every detail matters, and high-quality ingredients will be your best allies in the kitchen.
- Olives: Choosing the right olives is key. For this dish, the best options are pitted, oil-packed olives, which come in both green and black varieties. Oil-packed olives have a more intense, rounded flavor compared to brine-packed ones, adding a distinct touch to the dish.
- Capers: Salt-packed capers are the ideal choice. After rinsing them to remove excess salt, they become an essential ingredient to enhance the scammaro with their characteristic briny note. The size of the capers matters—small ones may go unnoticed, while larger ones add texture and flavor.
- Anchovies: Melted in oil, anchovies create a flavorful and aromatic base for the sauce. You can use both salt-packed or oil-packed anchovies, but for a more intense flavor, go for larger, meatier ones. For a vegetarian recipe just omit it.
- Breadcrumbs: Homemade breadcrumbs are irreplaceable. To make them, simply blend some leftover dry bread to get a coarser texture than store-bought breadcrumbs. This type of breadcrumb not only gives the dish a wonderfully crunchy texture but also absorbs the flavors of the other ingredients more effectively, elevating the final result.
Zero Waste in the Kitchen: Pasta Scammaro
Scammaro, also known as pasta with olives, capers, and breadcrumbs, is a great example of “zero waste” cooking. This recipe focuses on using what you have on hand and avoiding waste. Capers and olives, the key ingredients, are long-lasting pantry staples that are easy to keep on hand for any occasion.Breadcrumbs are another “anti-waste” ingredient: they can be bought pre-made or made at home by blending leftover stale bread. This is a sustainable way to reuse what would otherwise be thrown away.This recipe celebrates simplicity and provides a practical way to make a tasty, nutritious meal. It shows how traditional peasant cooking continues to inspire the kitchen today.By choosing and preparing your ingredients carefully, each bite of scammaro becomes an authentic journey through tradition’s flavors.
Frittata Scammaro
Frittata scammaro is a delightful evolution of the traditional pasta scammaro, a dish that encapsulates the simplicity and skill of Neapolitan cuisine. This dish begins with the base of pasta scammaro: a recipe that uses neither meat nor cheese, but instead highlights the flavors of simple ingredients like garlic, extra virgin olive oil, capers, olives, raisins, and anchovies.
Once you cook the pasta and mix it with the flavorful sauce in the pan, the next essential step transforms the dish: let the pasta cook further in the pan over low heat until a golden, crispy crust forms. With a touch of skill, flip the pasta like a true frittata, ensuring both sides are golden and firm. The result is a unique dish, crunchy on the outside but still soft and full of flavor on the inside.
Frittata scammaro perfectly exemplifies “leftover” cooking. In the past, people made it to avoid wasting pasta leftovers, turning them into something tasty and filling. Even today, people love this recipe not only for its authentic flavor but also for its versatility. You can serve it hot as a main dish or cold, making it perfect for a picnic or outdoor meal. Every family has its own secret for making the perfect frittata. Some add a pinch of chili for a spicy kick, while others prefer to enrich it with fresh herbs like parsley or basil. No matter how you prepare it, frittata scammaro always wins over everyone, thanks to its perfect balance of simplicity and genuine flavor.
How to Store Pasta Scammaro
To store pasta scammaro, place it in the refrigerator, where it will keep well for a couple of days. Be sure to store it in an airtight container to prevent it from drying out or absorbing other odors. Alternatively, you can turn it into a delicious frittata, as described earlier, to breathe new life into leftover pasta. However, it is not recommended to freeze it, as the texture and flavor may not be optimal once thawed.
Pasta scammaro: spaghetti Olives, Capers and Breacrumbs
Ingredients
- 2 cup spaghetti
- ⅓ cup capers
- ⅓ cup Kalamata olives
- ⅓ cup breadcrumbs
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ cup raisin
- 1 anchovy
Instructions
- Cook the spaghetti: Boil the spaghetti in plenty of salted water, following the cooking time suggested on the package, until al dente.
- Toast the breadcrumbs: In a large nonstick pan, heat a little olive oil over medium heat and toast the breadcrumbs until golden and crispy. Set aside.
- Prepare the sauce: In another large pan, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add the whole garlic cloves (which you can remove later) and lightly brown them to release their aroma.
- Add anchovies: Add the oil-packed anchovy to the pan and use a wooden spoon to mash it until it dissolves completely.
- Add the rest of the ingredients: Stir in the capers, Kalamata olives, and raisins, mixing everything together.
- Combine pasta with sauce: Once the pasta is cooked, transfer it directly to the pan with the sauce. Toss the spaghetti over medium heat, adding a bit of pasta cooking water if necessary to create a creamy consistency.
- Finish with breadcrumbs: Sprinkle the toasted breadcrumbs evenly over the pasta, stirring gently to combine.
- Serve: Serve the pasta scammaro hot, finishing with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil if desired for an extra touch of flavor.
