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!
St. Joseph's Spaghetti Recipe
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
- 3/4 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 parley.
- 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
Ronald Ciarlo says
SalveMaria,
My paternal grandparents were from Ripabottoni and I remember every March 19th, my grandmother would make the bread crumb sauce. Thanks to your recipe I now have been making it correctly for the past 2 years. My error prior to your recipe was that I was adding the ingredients at the wrong time and not using the correct amounts. with your recipe I have been able to correct the my mistakes. I made it last Thursday 3/19/30 for our St. Joseph day meal. I don’t remember her adding the citrus flavoring (orange rind) but I am going to try it. I do know that she would sweeten the mixture with some sugar.
Ronald Ciarlo
Maria says
Thank you so much for sharing Ronald ♥
Evelyn says
Same here – my father’s parents were from Ripabottoni. My mother learned to make this dish from her in-laws. Not something you would eat everyday but I liked it when she made it.
Carole says
I think ill make it tonight.
Maria says
Wonderful! Enjoy Carole!
Cathy says
This looks so good my mouth is watering
My family is from Agrigento. It was called Pasta con Sardi. With toasted dry breadcrumbs on top and fennel.
I will try your delicious recipe too. We must keep the traditions going
I wonder if I can add shrimp
Maria says
Yes, what a great idea! I think it would be delicious with shrimp! Thanks so much for stopping by.
Joann says
I have not tried this recipe, so I can’t rate it. I found this interesting. My grandparents came from Italy. We also have a traditional Spaghetti for St. Joseph’s day. But, it is very different. It is red sauce based. Has anchovies, sardines, raisins, cauliflower, and fennel. It is also served
With the breadcrumbs, which we call sand. It is called PASTA MILANESE. I am going to try yours, but have to have mine for St. Joseph’s Day.
Maria says
Sounds delicious Joann. Thanks for sharing!
Scott Nardi says
Sorry, I meant to add I live in cleveland but grandparents came from Cercepicolla
Maria says
We passed through it the last time we visited my dad’s place of birth. It is such a wonderful mountain village! Thanks for sharing Scott.
Scott Nardi says
When you add your orange rind, are you adding a chunk of the rind or just some “zest” ?
Maria says
I use a vegetable peeler to obtain the orange peel in strips. When ready to serve you can remove it. Thanks so much for stopping by Scott. Buon Natale!
Tony says
I am 78 years old and have this dish every Christmas eve since I was able to eat solid food. It is a tradition started by my grandmother, continued by my mother and now carried on my myself and my son. It just isn’t Christmas without it.
Maria says
I absolutely agree with you, Tony! Growing up and still to this day, we have this twice a year, on Christmas Eve and on March 19th. Absolutely delicious. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, appreciate it. Wishing you and your loved ones a Buon Natale. God bless.