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Scammarò: Spaghettini with Olives, Capers and Breacrumbs—the Ultimate Dish

Cammarare in Neapolitan, the language of Naples and surrounding area, means “eating fat food every day of the year,” so what can you do during Lent when you should eat moderately? Make Scammarare, which means creating a flavorful dish that combines taste and moderation.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword scammarò, spaghetti scammarò
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 1 pound of thin spaghetti, spaghettini, or any other long pasta (454g)
  • 3 tbsp of salt-cured capers (38-40g)
  • 4 tbsp  of black brined olives  (50g)
  • 3 tbsp of pine nuts (38g)
  • 2 handfuls of breadcrumbs
  • 1 tsp of anchovy paste or 4 oil-packed anchovy fillets  (15ml)
  • A clove of garlic 
  • Coarse salt 
  • Fine salt 
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste
Servings 4 people

Instructions

  • Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil; add a generous handful of salt, then pour in the pasta; 
  • Cook according to the instructions on the package; 
  • Prepare the sauce;
  • Rinse the capers in cold running water to get rid of all the salt; squeeze them to remove the water; 
  • Cut the olives in half and pit them if unpitted; 
  • In a non-stick pan, sauté the garlic clove with two tablespoons of oil; remove it from the pan as soon as it turns golden. 
  • Now add the anchovy paste or the rinsed and mashed anchovy fillets, the olives, the pine nus, and the capers to the pan; 
  • Add the breadcrumbs and toast them for a few minutes until slightly brown; 
  • When the pasta is done, drain and pour it into the pan with the sauce; 
  • Toss until the sauce evenly coats the pasta; 
  • Sauté everything for a few minutes over medium heat; if it thickens too much, add a small scoop of pasta water;
  • Remove it from the heat and sprinkle with another handful of breadcrumbs; season with salt and pepper to taste; 
  • Serve it very hot.