Description
Pasta Puttanesca is a bold and flavorful Italian dish featuring a savory sauce made with anchovies, olives, capers, crushed tomatoes, and aromatic herbs, served over al dente spaghetti or your favorite pasta. This classic recipe balances salty, tangy, and slightly spicy ingredients for a truly satisfying main course.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3 to 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 (95g) pitted olives (black or green), roughly chopped
Pasta and Garnish
- 1 pound spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine
- Salt (for pasta water and seasoning)
- Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Heat the pasta water: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, using about 1 tablespoon of salt for every 2 quarts of water. While waiting for the water to boil, begin preparing the sauce.
- Cook the onions, anchovies, and garlic: In a large, deep sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat until hot. Add the chopped onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped anchovies along with some of their oil from the can. Add the finely chopped garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Make the sauce: Add the tomato paste to the pan and cook it for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally to blend flavors. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, then add the dried oregano, red pepper flakes, chopped olives, and capers. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and maintain a gentle simmer for 10 to 15 minutes to develop the flavors.
- Cook the pasta: Once the pasta water reaches a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente—firm but tender. Before draining, reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water to adjust the sauce consistency if needed.
- Finish the sauce: Stir the fresh chopped parsley into the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water to thin it to your desired consistency.
- Serve: Drain the pasta and transfer it to a large serving bowl. Optionally, drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over the pasta to prevent sticking. Ladle a generous amount of sauce over the pasta and toss gently to combine. Serve in shallow bowls with additional sauce on top.
Notes
- Use high-quality extra virgin olive oil to enhance the flavor.
- If you prefer a milder dish, reduce the amount of red pepper flakes or omit them entirely.
- Save some pasta water before draining to adjust the sauce consistency perfectly.
- Capers and anchovies provide the signature salty tang; do not skip these ingredients.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute pasta with gluten-free noodles.
- Adding fresh parsley at the end brightens the flavor and adds freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 427 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 659 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 72 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 3 mg
