The following recipe and excerpt for citrus mackerel spaghetti with pangrattato are from “In For Dinner” by Rosie Kellett. It’s available for purchase on Amazon.
This recipe was born, like the best of them, out of necessity. While living with my first boyfriend in my early twenties, we existed almost exclusively on BLTs and a version of this pasta. Tinned fish and dried pasta were affordable, and this recipe became a staple dinner. It’s for the cash poor and the time poor, yet it’s serving big-time flavor. It’s made up of pantry staples and will be on the table in less than half an hour.
Citrus Mackerel Spaghetti with Pangrattato
Ingredients
Instructions
- First make the pangrattato by blitzing the bread into bread crumbs in a food processor.
- In a frying pan, over medium heat, heat a tablespoon of the olive oil and fry the bread crumbs with the garlic until golden brown and crisp. I like to take them pretty dark, bordering on a little burned, but you do you.
- Cook the spaghetti in well-salted, boiling water until al dente.
- Put the mackerel, capers, chile flakes, lemon zest and juice, most of the parsley, and the remaining olive oil into a large mixing bowl and combine thoroughly.
- Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the water, and add it to the mackerel mixture.
- Mix vigorously, adding a little pasta water and more olive oil if it seems too dry. You should end up with a glossy sauce that clings to the pasta. Taste and season with salt and black pepper.
- Serve on a large platter, topped with the pangrattato and the rest of the chopped parsley.
In For Dinner Copyright © 2025 by Rosie Kellett. Photographs copyright © 2025 by Benedikte Klüver. Illustrations copyright © 2025 by Alice Kell. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.
