Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca Recipe
This easy 20 minute pasta meal is rich in flavor with little effort. Spaghetti alla puttanesca is an Italian pasta dish invented in Naples in the mid twentieth century and made typically with tomatoes, olive oil, olives, chili peppers, capers, and garlic—with spaghetti pasta. It is a savory meal with lots of Italian flavors you are sure to love!
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 1 large garlic clove finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 5 anchovy fillets finely chopped OR 1 tablespoon anchovy paste (you can leave it out)
- ½ cup pitted black olives
- 2 tablespoons capers drained
- 1 pound dried spaghetti or long pasta of choice
- ½ small bunch fresh parsley finely chopped for garnish
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium heat. Add the onion and shallot, lightly fry for 8-10 mins, or until soft. Add the garlic and chilli, if using, and cook for another minute.
- Stir in the tomatoes, anchovies, olives and capers into the onion, bring to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, for 10 mins. Season to taste.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to the boil. Salt generously with salt. Cook the spaghetti following packet instructions until al dente, then drain and reserve 1/3 cup of pasta water. Add the pasta water to the sauce and stir to combine.
- Toss pasta with the sauce. Add parsley for garnish and serve hot. Mangia! (Eat!)
Video
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Notes
- When it comes to making Authentic Italian Spaghetti alla Puttanesca Sauce, there is one “rule” that everyone knows: No Parmigiano cheese. Italians don’t use cheese in seafood pasta dishes, and since there are anchovies in the dish, this is a big no-no. One more thing- no basil!
- Make sure to put the garlic in at the end of the first step (lightly frying the onions and shallots) and do not burn it. Burnt garlic is bitter and can ruin the whole dish!
- Cook your pasta to the perfect al dente by following my guide here. Boiling your pasta for too long will make it mushy.
- Toss the pasta with the sauce instead of just spooning it on top of the noodles. This will allow the pasta to soak up the sauce and give it a stronger flavor.
Nutrition
Calories: 419kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 439mg | Potassium: 647mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 784IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 3mg
