Call me crazy but I'm obsessed with crumbs. Not the ones that waiters deftly scoop up from the tablecloth but the ones you make on purpose, from bread. And not just from any bread, but from good, sourdough-style loaves. Because I make a substantial investment in high-end bread each weekend at the farmers market, I'm not about to waste a literal crumb of it. Every Saturday I gather up the uneaten end pieces from the week and coarsely grind them (cube the bread first and do it in small batches in the blender; the results are superior to what happens in the food processor). When I've accumulated a quart-size plastic bag of them in the freezer, I spread them out in a shallow baking pan and bake them in a 350F oven until they are deep golden, about 10 to 20 minutes—shake the pan occasionally to help them color more evenly. When they're done, I dump them in a bowl and then (and only then), do I drizzle them with extra-virgin olive oil, about 1/4 cup for 2 cups of crumbs. Many recipes suggest tossing the crumbs with oil before baking but why heat up and, in the process, break down the oil if you don't need to? This way, the flavor of the fresh olive oil comes through. It's essential to toss the crumbs well to distribute the oil (I use a fork) and be sure to season them confidently with salt. Okay, so you've got your seasoned toasted crumbs, now what?
Bring a bowl of them to the table the next time you serve pasta. If sprinkling crumbs on pasta sounds like adding salt to seawater—what, you don't have enough wheat in that dish already?—take a tip from the Sicilians, who know a lot about pasta. A tradition born of scarcity, Sicilians figured out long ago that salted crumbs make a dandy substitute for salty shreds of cheese. Like a true American, though, I've adopted the idea of crumbs on pasta and disregard any Italian conventions by serving them with practically every pasta dish along with cheese. I love the crisp textural contrast they add to the slippery noodles and by the time I get towards the bottom of my bowl, the crumbs have plumped themselves up with any flavorful liquid left at the bottom. Even after our bowls are empty, our family is still eating crumbs—spoonfuls of them at a time—smacking them into our mouths. One last tip: Not only do I keep bags of the untoasted crumbs in my freezer, but the toasted seasoned ones as well. To take the chill off them before serving, heat them ever so briefly in the microwave, until warmed through, about 20 to 30 seconds. You'll see; they'll be as good as freshly made.
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