Vic Williams: Pasta with brown butter and breadcrumbs

Pasta with brown butter and breadcrumbs. Picture / Bradley Ambrose

Serves 4 as a starter

4 handfuls spaghetti or other long pasta
3-4 tbsps butter
6 tbsps Japanese (or coarse) breadcrumbs sea salt and cracked black pepper
handful basil leaves

Bring a large pot of water to the boil and salt generously.

Add the pasta and cook for the time recommended on the packet (10-12 minutes).

Towards the end of the cooking time, place the butter and breadcrumbs in a heavy frying pan and cook, stirring continuously and watching carefully, until the butter and crumbs turn light brown.

Remove from the heat immediately, because they will continue to cook and darken a little in the residual heat, particularly if the frying pan is cast iron.

Drain the pasta and toss in the butter and crumbs.

Distribute among four warm bowls and, at the last minute before serving, tear the basil leaves into small pieces and scatter on top.