Pasta Puttanesca is a classic Italian pasta dish that’s ready in under 40 minutes! Make it with canned tomato paste and mashed tomatoes, canned anchovies, jarred olives and capers. So easy and so good.
Of all the dishes I have cooked over the years, Pasta Puttanesca holds a special place in my heart. I’ve been doing it regularly since the late 1980’s when I was a newcomer to SUNY Stony Brook dorms.
Puttanesca was the first “adult” meal I ever cooked myself; I’d made chunky versions of traditional girly “date night” dishes before, but this simple pasta sauce was my go-to meal after long, long days of track training.
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Pasta Puttanesca
The ingredients for Pasta Puttanesca
Puttanesca is the quintessential “I’m tired” meal as it consists almost entirely of staple foods:
- Canned tomato paste
- Crushed tomatoes
- Canned anchovies
- Canned olives and capers
The only chopping required is a little onion and as much garlic and parsley as you like. You turn on the water to cook the spaghetti, and when the pasta is cooked, the sauce is ready. Done and drinking beer (or doing homework) in 30 minutes.
What does puttanesca mean?
So do newspaper reporters. In the years that I have worked as a journalist, working after 9pm has been the rule, not the exception. However, Puttanesca was always there for me when I got home and in half an hour I could be in front of the TV, watching ESPN or something and eating a home cooked meal.
All these years later, I still do puttanesca when I’m tired or stressed. It’s an old habit I never want to break.
What to serve with Pasta Puttanesca
For a little extra garlic, serve this pasta with garlic bread or garlic knots. You can also top off the meal with a leafy green salad like a simple Caesar salad.
Save and freeze leftovers
If you have leftovers, they will keep in the fridge for a few days and can be reheated in the microwave.
The sauce (without the spaghetti) also freezes quite well. Freeze and thaw in the refrigerator for up to three months.
Do you love Italian pasta? Try these!
- Spaghetti pasta carbonara
- Fettuccine Alfredo
- Shrimp pasta alla vodka
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
- lasagne
Pasta Puttanesca
Spaghetti is the traditional pasta for this recipe, but any type of pasta will do.
ingredients
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2 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
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1/2 Cup finely chopped Onion
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3 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
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3 to 4 canned anchovieschopped
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2 tablespoon tomato paste
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1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
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1 (28–ounce) can crushed tomatoes
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2 teaspoon dried oregano
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2 tablespoon small (not pariel) capers
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3/4 cup (95G) gutted olives (black or green), roughly chopped
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1 lb spaghettiLinguine or Fettuccine
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Salt
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extra virgin olive oil, Per drizzle
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1/4 Cup chopped fresh parsley
method
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Heat pasta water:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (1 tablespoon of salt to 2 liters of water). While the water is heating, begin preparing the sauce.
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Cooking onions, anchovies, garlic:
Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, cook the onions until soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
While the onions are cooking, stir in the chopped anchovies along with a little canned oil.
Add the finely chopped garlic and cook for another minute.
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Make the sauce:
Mix in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomato passata, oregano, chilli flakes, olives and capers. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer, 10 to 15 minutes.
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Cook spaghetti:
When the salted pasta water boils, add the noodles. Cook the noodles according to package directions until al dente, but still slightly al dente.
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End of sauce:
Stir the parsley into the pasta sauce. Add some pasta water to the sauce to thin it out if it got too thick.
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Surcharge:
Drain noodles and place in a large bowl. If you like, mix a little olive oil into the pasta to keep the pasta from sticking together.
Add a ladleful of sauce to the pasta and mix to combine. Serve in shallow bowls with more sauce.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 427 | calories |
| 10g | Fat |
| 72g | carbohydrates |
| 14g | protein |
