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Home » Christmas » St. Joseph’s Spaghetti: A Christmas Eve Pasta Recipe

St. Joseph’s Spaghetti: A Christmas Eve Pasta Recipe

March 19, 2016 , Updated December 23, 2018 Maria 18 Comments

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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. {post includes video in recipe card}

A large serving bowl of Saint Josephs Day Spaghetti Recipe

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.

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. 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.

a close up of Saint Josephs Day Spaghetti.

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!

a close up of Saint Josephs Day Spaghetti.
5 from 3 votes
Print

St. Joseph's Spaghetti Recipe

Spaghetti which has been coated with a mixture of olive oil, breadcrumbs, walnuts, garlic, golden raisins and parsley. Saint Josephs Day Spaghetti recipe.

Course Main
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Italian Christmas Eve pasta, Italian spaghetti recipe, spaghetti with breadcrumbs, St. Joseph spaghetti
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 1258 kcal
Author Maria Vannelli RD (shelovesbiscotti.com)

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)
  • 350 grams spaghetti 1 package
  • salt to taste
  • pepper and crushed red pepper flakes to taste

Instructions

  1. In a large skillet, over medium heat, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
  2. Sauté the garlic until fragrant, 1-2 minutes (do not brown).
  3. Reduce heat to medium low and add the breadcrumbs.
  4. 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).
  5. Add the chopped walnuts and stir fry for another 2 minutes.
  6. Add raisins and parsley. Combine. Set aside. Add up to 1 cup of cooking water (from the pasta) if mixture appears to dry.

  7. Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
  8. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente.
  9. Drain the pasta and reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water. Drizzle 2 more tablespoons of olive oil.
  10. In a large serving dish, alternate layers of pasta and bread mixture (top with bread mixture).
  11. Garnish with parsley and drizzle remainer oilve oil.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Feel free to adjust the amount of garlic, walnuts and raisins based on personal preference.

Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used. 

Nutrition Facts
St. Joseph's Spaghetti Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 1258 Calories from Fat 630
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 70g 108%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Sodium 408mg 17%
Potassium 801mg 23%
Total Carbohydrates 135g 45%
Dietary Fiber 10g 40%
Sugars 23g
Protein 28g 56%
Vitamin A 6.7%
Vitamin C 10.1%
Calcium 20.3%
Iron 35.6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Saint Josephs Day Spaghetti Recipe

Christmas, Main Dishes, Pasta italian, spaghetti, St. Joseph

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Comments

  1. Sonia and mom says

    March 19, 2016 at 13:43

    Mary I am speechless my dad loved this dish thank you

    Reply
    • Maria says

      March 19, 2016 at 21:37

      Hi Sonia and mom, I also love this dish…especially the memories associated with it. Hope it brought back some nice memories for you too. Appreciate your comment 🙂

      Reply
  2. deb@glutenfreefarina says

    March 21, 2016 at 11:25

    This is new to me, but I think all the textures along with the sweet and nuttiness of the dish make this sound divine. Love the memories associated with the dish and how amazing that you know so much about your family’s history. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Maria says

      March 24, 2016 at 16:26

      Hi Deb,
      I had the privilege of living with my paternal grandparents…they were both in their early 90’s when they passed (of natural causes) and they were still sharing the stories of the old country. This spaghetti recipe really is one of my favorites 🙂 Thanks for dropping 🙂 🙂

      Reply
  3. Allie | In This Kitchen says

    March 25, 2016 at 17:46

    Oh my goodness, it sounds so good! Will pin this for future use… that combo just sounds amazing.

    Reply
    • Maria says

      March 25, 2016 at 19:05

      Hi Allie! The combination of simple ingredients really works so well in this recipe. Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂

      Reply
  4. Jo Vanderwolf says

    January 26, 2018 at 10:25


    This looks and sounds amazing! I always think I’m not going to like raisins in dishes but then end up loving them in there. I will have to give this a try. I’m pretty sure I would be in the “love it” category!

    Reply
    • Maria says

      January 26, 2018 at 10:34

      I am sure you are going to love this spaghetti recipe… in fact, the roasted garlic and the golden raisins are great together! Thanks for stopping by Jo ♥♥♥

      Reply
      • MARY GILARDO says

        February 1, 2019 at 14:58

        WE ALSO ATE THIS GROWING UP. MY PARENTS WERE FROM COMPOBASSA. WE ADDED GRATED ORANGE PEEL TO IT . YUMMY DISH OF PASTA

        Reply
        • Maria says

          February 1, 2019 at 21:52

          How wonderful Mary! Our parents may have been paesans… my dad was born in Ripabottoni. Yes, my grandmother would also add orange peel. This is truly a great dish. Thanks so much for stopping by Mary ♥

          Reply
  5. Colleen says

    January 26, 2018 at 11:11


    Maria, I haven’t heard of this dish, but to me it sounds delicious! I can’t wait to try it.

    Reply
    • Maria says

      January 26, 2018 at 11:46

      This very simple spaghetti recipe really has all the elements to make it work. Hope you get a chance to try it! Thanks for stopping by Colleen ♥♥♥

      Reply
  6. Aryane @Valises & Gourmandises says

    January 26, 2018 at 11:32

    It’s the first time I hear of this dish, but knowing Italian cuisine, it can only be amazing!!
    And I love that memory of your grandma. Food has this power of taking us back in time.

    Reply
    • Maria says

      February 12, 2018 at 21:02

      Absolutely! I have a vivid memory of my grandmother making this dish and that was over 40 years ago!!! My,oh my where does the time go 🙂 Thanks for stopping by Aryane 🙂

      Reply
  7. Francine says

    February 24, 2018 at 17:05


    My mom used to make this dish for us but she used to add honey and she used perchitelli maccaroni instead of spaghetti, She didn’t use walnuts. What fine memories we have of this.

    Reply
    • Maria says

      February 24, 2018 at 18:15

      How wonderful Francine ♥ It never seizes to amaze me how food can bring us back in time… thanks so much for taking the time to share your story. Appreciate it 🙂 Have a wonderful week-end!

      Reply
  8. Joanne says

    March 16, 2018 at 15:05

    My grandfather made it all the time but he never put nuts or raisins he used feel and anchovies instead

    Reply
    • Maria says

      March 16, 2018 at 17:56

      That is the beauty of Italian regional cooking, every family added their own personal touch to recipes. Appreciate your comment Joanne, thanks for stopping by 🙂

      Reply

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About Maria

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Hello and Welcome to She Loves Biscotti!
I'm Maria: dietitian and full time content creator. Join me as I share traditional Italian recipes from my youth, to modern twists on classics using fresh and seasonal ingredients.

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