Pasta Puttanesca is one of the simplest yet flavorful pasta dishes out there. It’s a true reflection of how with proper combination of basic pantry ingredients and cooking methods one can elevate a pasta dish. This recipe has been on my list to make for over a year, when we had the real thing in a small trattoria in Naples.
The ingredients are simple, mostly likely in your pantry so its one of those recipes you can whip up anytime or when you’re low on produce. I’ve made it a few different ways with subtle changes, mostly with different proportions, but essentially the same ingredients. My favorite recipe is by Mark Bittman’s.
This rustic, ridiculously simple sauce recipe is supposedly created by prostitutes in Naples also called “lady of the night sauce“, home of sirens so seductive that the only way to resist them is to fill your ears with beeswax and be tied to the mast of a ship!!! The garlic heavy tomato sauce(canned San Marzano please) is elevated with anchovies, briny capers, black olives and chili flakes. Simple right! Finally the parm is debatable, I’ll leave it to you guys if you like a little shaving of parm on the top. We love it, but most recipes I read don’t add parmesan.
You do you like the kids say!
How To Make Pasta Puttanesca
- Cook per the package instructions.Â
- While the pasta cooks, warm olive oil and saute chopped garlic and anchovies until fragrant.
- Add the drained tomatoes, breaking them up using the side of the ladle or knife. Add the chopped basil and crushed red pepper and allow the sauce to simmer.Â
- Drain the pasta and place it into a large bowl.
- Add the olives and capers to the tomato mixture and stir well. Turn off the heat and then add the sauce to the pasta and stir everything together well.Â
Pasta Puttanesca
Ingredients
- ½ lb linguine or any long pasta like spaghetti, spaghetti chitarra
- 1 28 oz can whole tomatoes San Marzano preferably
- 2-3 tbsp e.v. olive oil
- 4-6 cloves garlic chopped or minced
- 4-5 anchovies, roughly chopped
- ½-¾ cup black olives, marinated preferably or any olive you have
- 2-3 tbsp capers
- 1 tsp crushed chili flakes
- 5-6 leaves basil, torn
- salt and pepper as needed
- grated parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook per the package instructions.
- In the meanwhile, warm a large skillet with 2-3 Tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic and anchovies, stir until fragrant and just begins to brown, 2-3 mins.
- Add the tomatoes and break them up using your hand or the side of your ladle and stir well. Add the torn basil leaves and crushed red pepper. Simmer over medium heat until the tomatoes break down into a sauce – about 10 mins – stirring occasionally.Â
- Drain the pasta and place it into a large bowl.
- Add the olives and capers to the tomato sauce and stir well. Take it off the heat and add the sauce to the pasta and stir everything together well. If you like serve with grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!!
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