St. Joseph’s Spaghetti, aka Spaghetti di San Giuseppe, is a pasta dish recipe traditionally served on March 19th and Christmas Eve. A plate of spaghetti which has been coated with a mixture of olive oil, toasted breadcrumbs, walnuts, garlic, golden raisins and parsley.
St. Joseph’s Spaghetti
Think about this for a minute: a plate of carbs (pasta), served with more carbs (toasted breadcrumbs). The breadcrumbs in this recipe are very symbolic – they are meant to represent sawdust (since Saint Joseph was a carpenter), and cheese (since this was a poor man’s dish).
This is a classic example of cucina povera -which literally means “cooking of the poor”. Another example of this peasant cooking would be this recipe for Cacio e Uova or this easy recipe for Pasta and Lentils.
Perhaps this pasta with breadcrumbs recipe doesn’t sound very appetizing to you. I assure you that once you taste it, the combination of sweetness with the mild nutty flavor really works well with the pasta.
What do I need to make St. Joseph’s Spaghetti?
- Olive oil: Extra virgin if available.
- Garlic: Feel free to use more than the stated amount.
- Coarse breadcrumbs: Homemade if possible.
- Walnuts: Chopped finely.
- Parsley: Provides a wonderful contrast in color as well as a clean bright flavor.
- Golden raisins: A wonderful burst of sweetness.
- Spaghetti: The pasta of choice when making this dish. Look for spaghetti no 5.
- Orange rind: Optional, but provides a citrus undertone.
Optional ingredient: Anchovies
As far as accessories are concerned, you will need a large pot to cook the pasta as well as a colander. Also required is a wooden board and a sharp knife to properly chop up the garlic, walnuts and parsley. Finally a large skillet and a wooden spoon to stir fry a few of the ingredients.
How to make St. Joseph’s Spaghetti:
In a large skillet, saute the garlic in the olive oil for a few minutes. If using anchovies, add a couple of them at this point.
Add the breadcrumbs and a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and continue to saute. Add the walnuts, raisins and parsley and saute this mixture until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and toasty.
Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to your package label.
Add one cup of pasta water to the bread mixture if it appears dry.
Once the spaghetti is cooked, simply combine the two by layering in a large bowl.
This pasta dish can be served hot or at room temperature.
Based on my personal experience, this is one of those dishes that you either love or hate. As you can probably guess, I belong to the group that loves this recipe.
If ever you have leftover spaghetti, you can always make this Baked Spaghetti Pie.
Origin of the recipe for St. Joseph’s Spaghetti Recipe:
As you can well imagine, this is another recipe which was part of my Italian heritage.
In my upbringing, Saint Joseph’s Day Spaghetti recipe was only served twice a year: Christmas Eve and on March 19th in honor of Saint Joseph. As you are probably aware, there is another more popular food tradition celebrated on this day: Zeppole di San Giuseppe (just follow the link for the recipe).
I still have vivid images of my paternal grandmother standing on a chair, armed with a large wooden paddle (which my dad had made) stirring the freshly ground bread crumbs in a pool of olive oil in an industrial sized stock pot.
How could I forget the sweet aroma and the sound of the garlic sizzling in the olive oil? And then the moment when my grandmother decided that it was time to add the bread crumbs, well everyone had to stand back for fear of getting splattered with oil. It really was such a dramatic event… I can’t help but smile when I think of those moments.
As a child, I was so impressed with the authority, confidence and pride my grandmother had when she made this dish. This dish represented her roots, in the rural town of Ripabottoni, in the province of Campobasso, in the Italian region of Molise.
On March 19th and on Christmas Eve, family and friends are always welcomed to drop by and have a meal together and enjoy this simple recipe for Saint Joseph’s Day Spaghetti!
THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.
Ciao for now,
Maria 🙂
★★★★★ If you have made this recipe for St. Joseph’s Spaghetti, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!
Recipe
St. Joseph's Spaghetti Recipe
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Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 2 cups unseasoned coarse breadcrumbs
- 2 cups finely chopped walnuts about 200 grams
- 4 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- ¾ cup of golden raisins plumped (about 100 grams)
- 1 pound spaghetti 454 grams (1 package)
- salt to taste
- pepper and crushed red pepper flakes to taste
- Orange peel optional
Instructions
- In a large skillet, over medium heat, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Sauté the garlic until fragrant, 1-2 minutes (do not brown).
- Reduce heat to medium low and add the breadcrumbs.
- Add 2 more tablespoons of olive oil and combine. Stir together for about 2 minutes (breadcrumbs will get slightly toasted and should absorb the oil).
- Add the chopped walnuts and stir fry for another 2 minutes.
- Add raisins and parsley. Stir to combine for 1-2 minutes. Set aside. Add up to 1 cup of the cooking water (from the pasta) if the mixture appears to dry.OPTIONAL: Add orange peel and combine with the raisins and parsley.
- Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
- Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente.
- Drain the pasta and reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water. Drizzle 2 more tablespoons of olive oil.
- In a large serving dish, alternate layers of pasta and bread mixture (top with bread mixture). Note: Remove orange rind if used in the mixture.
- Garnish with parsley and drizzle remaining olive oil.
Video
Notes
- Feel free to adjust the amount of garlic, walnuts and raisins based on personal preference.
- Use a vegetable peeler to get slivers of orange peel.
- This dish is usually served at room temperature.
- If possible, make your own coarse breadcrumbs as the commercial variety is usually too fine.
Nutrition
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Anne Chase
I had a recipe for this dish but I lost it and couldn’t find a recipe even close. This is the closest to my old recipe that I could find. I just swapped out the raisins and walnuts for dried cranberries and pine nuts which was the only real difference between the two recipes.
Maria
Thanks so much for sharing Anne! Happy St. Joseph’s Day!
jane Holloway
Thank you Maria, I love all your recipes! I have tried this it’s a keeper.
Maria
Thanks so much Jane ♥
maria martino lehman
Thank you for this recipe. It reminds me of my grandma’s St. Joseph’s Spaghetti.
My grandparents were from Ripabatonni as well!!!
ciao,
Maria martino
Maria
My pleasure Maria! How wonderful! Such a beautiful area in Italy!
I am sure you have some wonderful memories ♥
Frank Feola
Thanks so much for this St Joseph Spaghetti recipe. My mother made this around Easter and I loved it. Actually loved it cold right out of the refrigerator. I will have to try it out myself. I believe she used thin pasta angel hair cappellini.
Maria
Thanks for sharing Frank!
Cynthia
Recipe tastes absolutely delicious.
Maria
Thanks so much Cynthia!
Mary Stacey
We would have this for St. Joseph day . My mom was from Casacelenda ,she would add honey to it so the bread crumbs would clump together with the raisins. So delicious but I ask myself why do I only eat it for St.Joseph and not all year round.
Maria
I totally agree Mary! Enjoy!
Amira
Oh WOW! Thank you so much Maria for your wonderful recipes! We tried this one last night, I was curious and could imagine how it would taste… well my imagination was way short! This is the BEST PASTA DISH EVER! My husband loved it as well! I am vegetarian, so having the walnuts to give it texture and crunchiness made this dish so satisfying and delicious! My great grandparents were also from Campobasso but I never got to try this before now! Thank you so much, this was a real TREAT!
Maria
My pleasure Amira! So happy to read this. Thanks for taking the time to share ♥
Julieann Julia
My maternal great grandparents were from Campobasso. My grandmother made this every Christmas Eve. My mother couldn’t wait to have the leftovers when we went to my grandparent’s on Christmas day. I never knew the story behind it. Thank you!
Maria
My pleasure Julia! Thanks for stopping by!
Joanne
My mom made this dish on Christmas Eve. My daughter started making it a few years ago, but we never had a definitive recipe. I’m going to share yours with her…thank you for sharing it…it’s the first time I’ve seen a recipe for it!
Maria
My pleasure Joanne! Buon Natale ♥
Florence Strickland
Maria, so glad I found this site. I can’t wait to try your recipe for the St. Joseph’s Pasta. Sounds delicious!!
Cynthia Garofalo
As I am the only one in my family who loves this dish, I make it for myself every March 19th because as you say “one either loves it or hates it”. When I was a little girl I hated the day we had to go to Nonna’s (from Casacalenda) to eat this but now as an adult, I love it. And I have not stopped in my “campaign” every year to get others to try it again and love it too. Thanks Maria for passing on these great delicious Italian dishes that also have so much tradition. Happy St. Joseph’s Day!
Maria
Thanks so much for sharing Cynthia! Hope you had a wonderful day!
Lisa
Oh my I have got to try this my husband is Italian and I love making (at least trying 😂) to make Italian dishes for him. I usually don’t read a lot of the commentary that I read every single word of yours and it was like you took me on an amazing adventure, and in my mind I I saw everything that you said it was so enjoyable.
Maria
Thank you so much for your kind words Lisa ♥
Pierre DiMaurizio-Pietracupa
Same here, my Grandmother introduced this dish to the entire family. From Casacalenda, she moved in Montreal in the early ’20’s, since my childhood, it is a tradition, after my Mom, now my kids are doing it. Slight variance though, ours is made out from bread crumps, orange zest, golden raisins, black pepper and honey. The pasta has to be Bucatini. The tradition is, and I don’t know why, that you have to eat that dish with your hands….I’ve always used a fork. It’s actually standing here in the fridge….This will revive old memories again and again. Buon appetito!
Angelo J DiBenedetto
My grandmother and mom made this dish but added fresh sardines. I was never a fan because of the sardines.
Josephine
My Nonna, from Casacalenda, Campobasso would make it every year and every year we all looked forward to eat it with family and cousins. Everyone loved it!
What a wonderful way to honour St- Joseph 🙏
Maria
Thank you Josephine.