Garlicky Pasta with Lemon, Olive oil and Breadcrumbs

I left out the most important ingredient in the title of this pasta, on purpose.

Anchovies.

You know why? Because anchovies have a PR problem. Had I led with them, you might have wrinkled your nose, scrolled past, or—worse—assumed they’d overpower the entire dish.

Anchovies are the umami MVP’s of weeknight cooking

But here’s the truth: Anchovies don’t hijack the flavor; they enhance it. They melt into the sauce, leaving behind nothing but an incredible, savory depth—the kind that makes you take another bite and think, Why is this so good?

They’re the secret to making this pasta rich, bold, and deeply satisfying, without a ton of ingredients or effort. And once you try it, you’ll never doubt them again. I call them the MVP’s of weeknight cooking….

A handful of staple fridge and pantry ingredients is all that’s separating you from weeknight pasta bliss

Which on weeknights, we need.

You see, some nights, dinner is a whole thing—the marinating, the chopping, the carefully orchestrated timing of the oven and the stovetop and, somehow, the entire universe to ensure it all comes together at once. And that’s fine. But for me, more often than not, dinner has to be instead, something like this: Garlicky Pasta with Lemon, Olive Oil, and Breadcrumbs, aka the easiest, fastest, most deeply satisfying pantry pasta that you’re not making (yet), but absolutely should be.

Oh BTW -

Sorry this post is late…… but I was just WAY too excited to announce my collab dinner with Mar Vista Farm + Cottages last night!!!! Read about that here and be sure to secure your spot so I can finally cook you dinner!

Okay enough excitement!

Back to the recipe at hand….

Not quite pasta aglio e olio (pasta with garlic and oil), but the same idea with a few minor tweaks. This pasta is weeknight magic, the kind of thing that comes together in the time it takes to boil water, with ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. It’s also everything I want from a meal—rich but not heavy, deeply flavorful yet simple, and packed with a textural contrast (hello, crispy golden breadcrumbs) that makes every bite a joy.

Oh, and did I mention it’s budget-friendly? Because yes, a handful of humble ingredients—garlic, pasta, breadcrumbs, anchovies, lemon, and a little cheese—come together to make something that tastes like you casually waltzed out of a tiny Roman trattoria on a Tuesday night. It’s rich and comforting, and a meal that you want to throw together on a rainy night after work and park it on the couch with your favorite show.

So, go. Boil some water. Peel some garlic. Make this tonight. And then tell me it wasn’t the best idea you had all week.