Can you smell the deliciousness of pasta puttanesca through the screen? It just sounds fancy – pasta puttanesca. Like you’re making something totally exotic. In reality, it’s a pretty short grocery list but the taste is truly like fireworks on your tongue. The whole house smells like the most amazing tomato sauce and it’s as simple as stirring a few ingredients in a pan and boiling pasta. Layers of delicious garlic tomato sauce spiked with just a hint of red pepper flakes tossed with al dente pasta, oil-cured black olives, and speckled with beautifully briny capers. Top with pecorino romano or shaved parmesan for the ultimate pasta dinner. It’s less than 10 ingredients for this recipe, most of which are pantry staples, and it’s one that quick and easy enough to toss together for a weeknight family dinner!
What is pasta puttanesca or spaghetti alla puttanesca?
Spaghetti alla puttanesca is an Italian pasta dish that is said to have been invented in the Campania region or Naples, Italy. It’s typically made with tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, olives, and capers. It’s called pasta puttanesca when something other than spaghetti is used.
Ingredients in pasta puttanesca
Cloves of garlic: fresh minced garlic helps flavor the puttanesca sauce. We add this in a cold pan with cold oil to infuse the flavors so they carry throughout the dish. Crushed red pepper flakes: We simmer red pepper flakes with garlic in olive oil so that the heat carries all the way through the sauce.Anchovy fillets: add the most amazing umami flavor. Truth be told, I was scared of anchovies in the past, and have used fish sauce in its place. You can also use anchovy paste if you’d rather not mince up a whole fillet. I found them near the packed tuna in my grocery store, you can also buy them online.Tomatoes: I like using San Marzano tomatoes for this recipe. If you’re lucky enough for grow your own tomatoes, you can certainly use them. I just suggest scoring the tomatoes and boiling them first so that you can loosen the peel and remove it before sqCapers: Add a delicious brininess to the dish. This is truly what makes your tongue dance with joy!Oil-cured black olives: black olives are what are most commonly used for this recipe. You can find them in the same aisle as regular olives or order them online. I do share a substitute below if you’re unable to find oil-cured olives.Pasta: You can use a variety of pasta shapes here! Spaghetti is most often called for in a puttanesca recipe, but I like it with bucatini and even linguine would work.Parsley: Fresh parsley adds color and brightens up this dish. You can also use fresh basil if you’d like. I boil the pasta a little less than package directions. This is so the pasta doesn’t become overcooked when we simmer it in the sauce at the end.Grated cheese: grated parmesan or pecorino is sprinkled on top right before serving.
How to make soul-warming pasta puttanesca
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Anchovies: If you’re weirded out by anchovies, you can add a tablespoon of fish sauce (I’ve tried with the Asian kind) or a heaping tablespoon of anchovy paste. Both make decent subs here!
