Pasta con la Mollica (Pasta with Breadcrumbs)

A recipe for Pasta con la Mollica (Pasta with Breadcrumbs)! This easy dish pairs pasta with garlic-infused olive oil and toasted breadcrumbs.

Pasta con la Mollica (Pasta Mollicata, Pasta e Mollica, Pasta ca’ Muddica) is a quick option perfect for using up leftover bread and other pantry staples. It originally comes from Southern Italy with variations across Basilicata, Puglia, Calabria, and Sicily.

I was inspired to make this recipe while reviewing Culinaria Italy ten years ago and am updating today (2026) with slight adjustments to the ingredients.

Best of all, everything comes together within about 30 minutes. Simply toss noodles in an olive oil infused with garlic, anchovies, (optionally) crushed red pepper, and parsley, then toasted breadcrumbs to coat for a bit of texture.

To finish, serve the pasta with even more toasted breadcrumbs and a drizzle of olive oil. This recipe is enough for about 6 as a first course or closer to 4 as a light meal.

Types of Pasta

Pasta con la Mollica pairs well with a variety of pasta shapes. My personal favorites are Bucatini or Orecchiette. Other regional options include Spaghetti and Ferricelli (Basilicata).

Regardless of the shape, cook the pasta until just tender, al dente. Overcooking will cause the pasta to fall apart as it is tossed with the breadcrumbs and oil.

A Few Pasta con la Mollica Tips

This recipe comes together quickly. Make sure everything is ready and at hand before starting.

For best results, use freshly made breadcrumbs, not store-bought. Pulse the stale bread slices (1 to 2 days old) in a food processor until roughly ground with a few pieces slightly larger for some texture. If you do not have a food processor available, the bread can also be grated across the larger holes of a box grater.

Toast the breadcrumbs in a wide skillet with 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) of the olive oil until golden. Stir constantly and don’t step away! The breadcrumbs should become deeply golden, but not burnt.

Clean out the pan before adding the remaining 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) olive oil and infusing with the garlic, anchovies, and red pepper flakes.

For the red pepper flakes, I crushed about 2 dried Calabrian chilies.

Add salt and more/less pepper flakes to taste. If you really love garlic, toss in an extra clove or two. If you want a lighter garlic flavor, decrease to one clove or add the peeled clove whole to the oil and remove before tossing in the pasta.

In this recipe, the breadcrumbs are used in place of cheese, but you can add a little grated cheese if desired.

For a vegan variation, omit the anchovies and make sure the pasta/bread is egg and dairy free.

This recipe can easily be halved to serve 2 as a light meal or 4 as a first course.

Looking for more pasta recipes?

Try my:

• Penne allo Zafferano (Penne with Saffron)
• Pasta con Pesto alla Trapanese
• Orecchiette with Sausage and Kale Pesto

This recipe was originally posted in February 2016 and updated in January 2026.

Pasta con la Mollica (Pasta with Breadcrumbs) Recipe

Adapted from Culinaria Italy: A Celebration of Food and Tradition

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Pasta con la Mollica (Pasta with Breadcrumbs)

A recipe for Pasta con la Mollica (Pasta with Breadcrumbs)! This easy dish pairs pasta with garlic-infused olive oil and toasted breadcrumbs.

Course Main

Cuisine Italian

Keyword anchovy, bread, garlic, Italian, Italy, olive oil, pasta

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 -6 Servings

Ingredients

• 3.5 ounces (100 grams) stale bread slices crust removed
• 6 tablespoons (90 milliliters) olive oil divided, plus more for serving
• 1 pound (450 grams) dried bucatini, spaghetti, orecchiette or other favorite pasta
• 4 anchovy fillets in olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
• 1/2-1 teaspoon red chili flakes optional, I added 2 crumbled dried Calabrian chilies
• salt to taste
• 1/4 cup (10 grams) fresh parsley finely chopped

Instructions

• Place the bread slices in a food processor and pulse until roughly ground with some slightly larger pieces for texture. If you do not have a food processor available, grate the bread slices across the larger holes of a box grater.
• Drizzle 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) olive oil in a wide skillet over medium low heat.
• Once heated, add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring constantly, until golden.
• Transfer the breadcrumbs to a bowl, clean out the skillet, and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Reduce heat to a simmer, add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until barely al dente, just tender.
• While the pasta is cooking, place the cleaned skillet back on the stove over medium low heat and add the remaining 4 tablespoons (60 milliliters) olive oil.
• Once the oil is heated, add the anchovy fillets, garlic, and red chili flakes (if using) and cook, stirring until the anchovies melt into the oil and the garlic is fragrant.
• Remove from heat and stir in the parsley.
• Once the pasta is barely tender, drain, and reserve 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) of the cooking water.
• Place the pan with the oil back over low heat, add the pasta, and toss evenly to coat. Slowly stir in the reserved cooking water if needed to hold everything together.
• Season with salt and toss in half of the toasted breadcrumbs.
• Adjust seasonings to taste, adding more salt if needed.
• Remove from heat and serve immediately with the remaining breadcrumbs, plus a little more parsley and a drizzle of additional olive oil if desired.