Spaghetti alla Scammaro

Spaghetti alla Scammaro is a traditional recipe from Naples, dating to the 19th century and tied to religious fasting practices. Unlike many pasta dishes of the region, it is meatless, relying instead on pantry staples such as spaghetti, raisins, pine nuts, anchovies, garlic, parsley, and breadcrumbs for richness and texture.

The technique begins with gently melting anchovies in olive oil with garlic, then tossing in raisins and pine nuts for contrast. Cooked spaghetti is added, along with toasted breadcrumbs that provide crunch in place of cheese. This preparation reflects Neapolitan ingenuity in creating flavor within dietary restrictions.

PastaItalian

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 20 min

Total Time: 30 min

Yield: 2 servings

A line drawing of a Dutch Oven, which is the logo for this site.

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup raisins
  • 5 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 3 Tbsp. bread crumbs
  • ¼ cup pine nuts
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled and halved, with the stem removed
  • 2 Tbsp. capers
  • 10-12 kalamata olives, halved
  • 8 oz. spaghetti
  • salt
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

  1. 1.
    Soak raisins in a bowl of warm water.
  2. 2.
    Boil pasta water.
  3. 3.
    Toast pine nuts in a dry pan for 2 minutes until golden. Shake and toss them regularly to prevent burning.
  4. 4.
    Remove pine nuts and heat 2 Tbsp. of olive oil.
  5. 5.
    Add breadcrumbs to the hot oil and toss until breadcrumbs are toasted.
  6. 6.
    Salt the boiling pasta water and cook the spaghetti to a minute before al dente.
  7. 7.
    Pour 3 Tbsp. of olive oil and add the garlic clove to the cold saucier and place on medium-high heat.
  8. 8.
    Sauté garlic until it becomes golden and aromatic.
  9. 9.
    Add capers, olives, and pine nuts to the pan and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
  10. 10.
    Remove the garlic and add a ladle of pasta water to the saucier.
  11. 11.
    When pasta is done, add it to the saucier.
  12. 12.
    Stir and toss the spaghetti, adding pasta water as needed, until the pasta is done.
  13. 13.
    Turn up the heat to thicken the sauce.
  14. 14.
    Sprinkle bread crumbs and chopped parsley over pasta and mix well.
  15. 15.
    Transfer pasta to plates, pour over any remaining sauce, and top with breadcrumbs and fresh parsley.