Spaghetti with Bread Crumbs and Cannellini Beans

One of my most favorite things about this dish is that it's simple, easy and fast to prepare, yet offers so much flavor. One of the most important ingredients is the bread crumbs. They give the dish a nutty and wholesome flavor. If you don't make your own, make sure that the grocery store variety is of high quality and is lacking of chemicals, hydrogenated oils, and corn syrup.

Spaghetti with Bread Crumbs and Cannellini Beans

1/2 cup bread crumbs1 pound thick spaghetti
1 cup cannellini beans, cooked
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
salt
5 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
parmigiano reggiano cheese, grated

Cook spaghetti until al dente according to package instructions.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, saute garlic and 1/2 of the parsley in 1/2 of the olive oil. When the garlic is tender, add the 1/2 of the bread crumbs. Next, add the cannellini beans. Stir, and put the mixture over the spaghetti, along with the remaining parsley, olive oil, and bread crumbs. Then, add salt and toss until all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Serve immediately with grated parmigiano reggiano and drizzled olive oil served on top of individual portions.

Serves approximately 5.

Homemade Bread Crumbs

1 day old baguette bread loaf
paprika, salt, black pepper

Slice the bread into 1/2 inch thick slices. Place onto a baking pan and allow to bake at 300 degrees for 15-25 minutes. Make sure that the bread does not burn or brown excessively. Remove, place into food processor (in batches if necessary). Place the crumbs into a mixing bowl and add salt, black pepper, and paprika. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator to assure longer storage (should last about 3-4 months if stored properly).