Easy Pasta Puttanesca Recipe
Bold and comforting in the best way, puttanesca sauce takes a few pantry staples including: canned tomatoes, garlic, olives, capers, and anchovies. Spaghetti is a popular choice for pasta puttanesca (and it's what I used in this recipe), but any long, thin pasta would work -- like linguine or vermicelli. Serve with a big salad like Panzanella salad, arugula salad, or Mediterranean bean salad.
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound thin spaghetti
- Kosher salt
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, (I often use Italian Nocellara EVOO for this one)
- 4 to 8 anchovy fillets, (use to your liking)
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, (optional)
- 4 to 5 large garlic cloves, (minced)
- 1 28- ounce can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
- ½ cup pitted kalamata olives, (sliced)
- 3 tablespoons capers
- 2 teaspoons dry oregano
- Kosher salt
- ½ cup chopped parsley
Directions
- 1
In a large, deep pan, heat a good ¼ cup or so extra virgin olive oil. Warm the oil over medium heat and add the anchovy fillets and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 2 minutes or so, tossing the anchovies around (they will somewhat melt into the oil infusing it with flavor).
- 2
Add the garlic and cook for a brief 30 seconds until fragrant, then add the tomatoes, ½ of the olives and capers, and the dried oregano. Bring the mixture to a simmer, while using your cooking utensil to break up the tomatoes.
- 3
Lower the heat and cover the pan part-way. Allow the sauce to cook for a good 20 to 30 minutes or until thickened to your liking.
- 4
While the sauce is cooking, cook the pasta in boiling salted water to al dente, according to package instructions (mine took about 9 minutes).
- 5
When the pasta is ready, transfer it to the pan with the sauce and toss well. If you need to, add a little of the pasta cooking water. Taste and adjust the salt, if needed.
- 6
Garnish with the remaining olives and capers and fresh parsley. Serve!