Peppery Herbed Breadcrumbs

Crunchy, piquant breadcrumbs make a great topping for gratins and root vegetable bakes, and they give plainly cooked pasta an appetising texture – mix in the warm crumbs as you toss the pasta before serving. The crumbs are also good strewed over grilled tomatoes, fish or poultry. They will keep for a week in an airtight polythene bag in the fridge.