Description
Classic Pasta Puttanesca is a vibrant and flavorful Italian dish made with a savory sauce of anchovies, garlic, olives, capers, and crushed tomatoes, served over perfectly cooked spaghetti or linguine. Ready in about 40 minutes, this pantry-friendly recipe combines robust Mediterranean ingredients to create a quick, satisfying meal full of bold, tangy, and slightly spicy flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3-4 canned anchovies, chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons small (non-pariel) capers
- 3/4 cup (95 g) pitted olives (black or green), roughly chopped
Pasta Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine
- Salt, for pasta water
- Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Prepare boiling salted water: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, adding 1 tablespoon of salt for every 2 quarts of water to season the pasta properly.
- Cook onions and anchovies: Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large, deep sauté pan. Add the finely chopped onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in chopped anchovies along with some of their oil to enhance the sauce’s depth, then add garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add tomato paste and simmer sauce: Mix in tomato paste and cook it for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally to develop flavor. Add crushed tomatoes, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, olives, and capers. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, allowing flavors to meld.
- Cook pasta: Once the salted pasta water reaches a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente—tender but still firm. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water before draining.
- Finish sauce and combine: Stir chopped fresh parsley into the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add some reserved pasta water to thin it to your preferred consistency.
- Toss pasta and serve: Drain the pasta and transfer it to a large bowl. Optionally toss with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking. Add a ladle of sauce to the pasta and mix well to combine. Serve in shallow bowls topped with additional sauce and enjoy.
Notes
- This classic Italian pasta dish is quick and easy to prepare, taking approximately 40 minutes from start to finish.
- Made primarily from pantry staples like canned tomatoes, anchovies, olives, and capers, it’s an excellent choice for a flavorful meal with minimal shopping.
- Reserving pasta water is important to adjust the sauce consistency and help it cling to the pasta.
- Use high-quality extra virgin olive oil for best flavor.
- For a vegetarian adaptation, omit anchovies, although this will change the traditional flavor profile.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1/6 of recipe)
- Calories: 429 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 662 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 72 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 3 mg
