Pasta cipolla e mollica

Pasta with onion and breadcrumbs is a simple and tasty dish from the Italian tradition, particularly from Southern Italy. Here is how to prepare it:

Ingredients

• 320 g of pasta (spaghetti or bucatini work well)
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 100 g of breadcrumbs
• Extra virgin olive oil (as needed)
• Salt (as needed)
• Red chili pepper (optional)

Preparation

1. Start by heating a good stream of extra virgin olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the finely sliced onions and a pinch of salt, and let them soften slowly. If you like, you can add a piece of chili pepper to give a bit of spiciness to the dish.

2. Meanwhile, fry the breadcrumbs in another pan with some oil until they turn golden and crispy. Keep an eye on the breadcrumbs because they can burn easily. Once ready, set them aside.

3. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente following the instructions on the package.

4. Drain the pasta while saving some of the cooking water and pour it into the pan with the onions, mixing well to flavor it.

5. If the mixture is too dry, add some of the cooking water you saved.

6. Serve the pasta on plates and sprinkle generously with the fried breadcrumbs.

Curiosity

The dish pasta with onion and breadcrumbs represents an example of “cucina povera” (simple peasant cooking), where simple ingredients available in the homes of the past were transformed into dishes rich in flavor and tradition. In many families, nothing was thrown away, not even stale bread, which became a valuable resource to enrich dishes as in this case.