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Italian pasta puttanesca: the ultimate recipe

It is a simple, fast to prepare spaghetti dish. Take all the ingredients for a very flavorful meals. Along with a nice crispy salad, this spaghetti provides you with an easy-to-digest lunch, indeed.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword pasta alla puttanesca, puttanesca, puttanesca sauce
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 1 lb pof pasta, preferably, spaghetti or linguine. Short pasta may fit as well.  (454g)
  • 1/2 cup  of very ripe cherry tomatoes or a small can of peeled plum tomatoes (100g)
  • 6-8 anchovy fillets (to taste)
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • a spring  of fresh parsley (extra)
  • a few fresh basil leaves (extra but highly recommended)
  • 1 tsp of red pepper flakes
  • 1/3 cup  black pitted olives, such as Kalamata (50g)
  • 1/4 cup of capers (30g)
  • Parmigiano Reggiano (to taste)
  • salt and pepper 
Servings 4 people

Instructions

  • Fill 3/4 of a large stock pot with water and bring it to a rolling boil; 
  • Rinse the salt off the capers; 
  • To prepare the sauce, add some olive oil to a pan, sauté the finely sliced garlic (or crush it if you prefer a more delicate taste) with the red pepper flakes over medium high heat until light golden brown; 
  • Add the anchovy fillets and let them melt completely; skip this step if omitting anchovies;
  • Add the tomatoes and cook until the sauce gets thicker; 
  • Season with salt and pepper and stir in the olives and the capers; 
  • Add some basil leaves; 
  • Reduce the heat to a low and simmer until the pasta is done; 
  • When the water boils, add a tablespoon of salt and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package; 
  • Finely chop the parsley and add it to the sauce; reserve a little for plate decoration; 
  • Add a tip of a teaspoon of ground pepper and let it simmer; 
  • Drain the pasta in a colander and add it directly to the pan with the sauce; 
  • Toss with a wooden spoon until the pasta is evenly coated. If the sauce gets too thick, add a little pasta cooking liquid; 
  • Top the plates with the remaining parsley and a little freshly grated Parmigiano to taste; enjoy your lunch!