In his book, Naples at Table, Arthur Schwartz introduced me to the simple delights of pasta cooked with fried eggs. Living alone overseas while my husband was deployed with the USAF, I became a bit obsessed with this dish - to the point where my sister, Amanda, thought she might have to run an intervention! Ten years later, I have added to and changed this recipe to fit my own tastes. I just love this dish – the yolks coat the pasta and the whites provide little puffs of yumminess throughout this peppery, garlicky dish. The pangritata tops it all off by adding bits of crunch and bright bursts of lemon and rosemary. I usually make a big batch of the pangritata and store it in my fridge – it is great on so many things – I use it to top fish, other pasta dishes, warm mushroom salads, etc. Not only is this recipe dead easy to make, it is cheap and delicious!

Serves one

Pangritata

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup fresh or stale coarse breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
zest from half a lemon

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the breadcrumbs and sauté until golden and crispy, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the rosemary, immediately remove from heat and allow to cool.
Mix in lemon zest and set aside.

Spaghetti and Eggs

4 ounces spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
1 teaspoon small capers, drained
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook pasta to al dente according to directions on box. (I usually undercook the pasta by about a minute.)

Wipe out the skillet from the pangritata, add 1 T olive oil and 1 T butter and melt together over medium heat.

Add the garlic and immediately break the eggs into the skillet.

If need be, lower the heat a bit. You want the garlic to cook without burning and the egg whites to set, but the yolks to remain runny.

Drain the pasta well, reserving ? c of the cooking liquid.

Add pasta back to the pot, pour over the eggs and all the fat from the skillet, add the parsley and capers and toss well, breaking up the eggs as you do. If you prefer a wetter dish, you can add in some of the reserved cooking liquid.

Plate the pasta and eggs, season well with freshly ground black pepper, sprinkle with the grated cheese and then top with the pangritata.

Pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy!