Pasta Puttanesca is a classic Italian dish known for its bold, savory flavors and simple ingredients. This authentic puttanesca recipe originates from Southern Italy and features al dente pasta tossed in a rich, briny sauce made with tomatoes, garlic, olives, capers, and anchovies.
The combination of these ingredients creates a perfect balance of salty, tangy, and slightly spicy flavors, making pasta puttanesca a favorite among pasta lovers worldwide. Quick to prepare and packed with Mediterranean flair, this dish is ideal for a cozy dinner at home or for impressing guests with its robust and unforgettable taste.
Much like Spaghetti Aglio e Olio and Penne all’Arrabbiata, traditional puttanesca pasta is a simple yet intensely flavorful first course. The best puttanesca sauce recipe includes Gaeta black olives, peeled tomatoes, capers, anchovies, garlic, chili peppers, parsley, and extra virgin olive oil. While the Lazio-style puttanesca is made with anchovies, in Naples, the local version—called "aulive e chiapparielli" in Neapolitan dialect—omits them.
The best pasta for authentic puttanesca sauce is usually spaghetti or linguine, but other shapes like penne, fusilli, or paccheri work well too. No matter which pasta you choose, this dish is a true explosion of Mediterranean flavors. Though its origins are debated between Lazio and Campania, pasta puttanesca has gained popularity throughout Italy and beyond.
Ready to make the best puttanesca recipe at home? In just a few minutes, you'll have a mouth-watering dish bursting with bold Italian flavors!
Ingredients
Prep Time: 10 Min | Cook Time: 20 Min | Servings: 4
- 350 g (¾ pound) of spaghetti or linguine
- 400 g (14 oz) of peeled tomatoes, such as San Marzano, cherry, or grape tomatoes, either fresh or canned
- 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic
- 5 fillets of anchovies in oil
- 150 g (5 0z) of large black olives, whole or pitted.
- 3 tablespoons of salted capers
- 1 sprig of fresh parsley
- 1 red chili pepper, fresh or dried
- salt, to taste
Instructions
Step 1) - To make authentic puttanesca recipe, start by preparing the tomatoes. If using fresh tomatoes, blanch them in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, then peel off the skin. If using canned peeled tomatoes, simply drain them and discard the sauce.
Step 2) - If using whole olives, remove the pits. Don’t worry if they break during this process—they will be roughly chopped anyway. If using pitted olives, cut them in half, and set a few whole ones aside for garnish.
Finely chop the garlic clove.
Step 3) - Rinse the capers under cold running water for a few minutes to remove excess salt and slightly rehydrate them. Then, finely chop the fresh parsley.
Now all your ingredients are ready—let’s make the Puttanesca sauce!
How to Make Puttanesca Sauce
Step 4) - In a large skillet, heat extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the desalted capers, chopped garlic, chopped olives, anchovy fillets, and a whole chili pepper.
Sauté for about 3-4 minutes, stirring continuously, until the anchovies have completely dissolved into the oil, creating a rich umami base.
Step 5) - Now add the peeled tomatoes and crush them gently with a fork. Taste the sauce before adding salt—since olives, capers, and anchovies are already salty, extra seasoning may not be necessary.
Let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Finally, stir in the chopped parsley for a fresh finishing touch.
Cook the Pasta
Step 6) - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, but drain it 3 minutes before it reaches al dente, as it will finish cooking in the sauce.
Step 7) - Transfer the partially cooked spaghetti directly into the pan with the Puttanesca sauce. Toss well and cook for the final 3 minutes, allowing the pasta to fully absorb the flavors.
Serve immediately, garnished with extra chopped parsley and a few whole olives. Pasta Puttanesca is ready—buon appetito!
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Storage
I recommend enjoying Spaghetti alla Puttanesca immediately after it's prepared for the best flavor and texture.
If you have leftovers, they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one day.
To reheat, use a microwave or warm them in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil and a tablespoon of water to restore moisture.
If you plan to store leftover Puttanesca pasta for the next day, consider using short pasta like rigatoni or penne, as they hold their texture better after refrigeration.
I do not recommend freezing this dish.
Tips
Olives - Traditionally, Gaeta black olives are used in Puttanesca, but green olives work too. Some recipes use both for added color. For the best flavor and texture, opt for whole olives with pits and remove them as needed, as they have a firmer texture and richer taste compared to pitted ones.
Salted Anchovies - If you don’t like anchovies, you can omit them. In fact, the Campanian version of Puttanesca is traditionally made without them, while in Lazio, anchovies are a key ingredient in many dishes, including this sauce.
Garlic and Chili - For a milder flavor, leave the garlic whole and remove it before serving. If you prefer a stronger garlic taste, finely chop it and let it blend into the sauce. The same applies to chili pepper—increase the amount for a spicier dish or remove it for a milder version.
Herbs - The classic Pasta Puttanesca recipe calls for chopped parsley sprinkled over the sauce and as a final garnish. However, oregano is another aromatic herb commonly used, similar to Marinara sauce. Since oregano has a very strong flavor, use it sparingly.
Salt - Anchovies and capers naturally add saltiness to the dish, often making additional salt unnecessary. Taste the sauce before adding any salt—only use a small pinch if the tomatoes and olives are particularly sweet.
History
The origins of Pasta Puttanesca are uncertain, but the recipe dates back to at least the 19th century. One of the earliest references comes from Ippolito Cavalcanti, a Neapolitan cook and scholar, who described a similar dish in his cookbooks. However, the name "Puttanesca" only appeared after World War II.
There are several theories about its unusual name. One suggests that it originated in the Quartieri Spagnoli of Naples, where a brothel owner served this quick and flavorful dish to guests—hence the connection to the word “puttana” (prostitute in Italian slang).
Another well-known story credits Sandro Petti, an Ischian architect and restaurant owner in the 1950s and 1960s. When friends insisted he cook something despite limited ingredients, he threw together a simple dish of garlic, oil, tomatoes, olives, capers, and parsley, calling it a “puttanata”—a slang term meaning a mess or something thrown together hastily. The dish was a hit, and over time, "puttanata" evolved into Puttanesca.
Recipe Card
Authentic Italian Pasta Puttanesca Recipe
Ingredients
- 350 g spaghetti or linguine - 12 oz
- 400 g peeled tomatoes such as San Marzano, cherry, or grape tomatoes, either fresh or canned - 14 oz
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 5 anchovies fillets in oil
- 150 g large black olives - 5 oz, whole or pitted
- 3 tablespoons salted capers
- 1 sprig fresh parsley
- 1 chili pepper - fresh or dried
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Start by preparing the tomatoes. If using fresh tomatoes, blanch them in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, then peel off the skin. If using canned peeled tomatoes, simply drain them and discard the sauce.
- If using whole olives, remove the pits. Don’t worry if they break during this process—they will be roughly chopped anyway. If using pitted olives, cut them in half, and set a few whole ones aside for garnish.
- Finely chop the garlic clove.
- Rinse the capers under cold running water for a few minutes to remove excess salt and slightly rehydrate them. Then, finely chop the fresh parsley.
- In a large skillet, heat extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the desalted capers, chopped garlic, chopped olives, anchovy fillets, and a whole chili pepper.
- Sauté for about 3-4 minutes, stirring continuously, until the anchovies have completely dissolved into the oil, creating a rich umami base.
- Now add the peeled tomatoes and crush them gently with a fork. Taste the sauce before adding salt—since olives, capers, and anchovies are already salty, extra seasoning may not be necessary.
- Let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Finally, stir in the chopped parsley for a fresh finishing touch.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, but drain it 3 minutes before it reaches al dente, as it will finish cooking in the sauce.
- Transfer the partially cooked spaghetti directly into the pan with the Puttanesca sauce. Toss well and cook for the final 3 minutes, allowing the pasta to fully absorb the flavors.
- Serve immediately, garnished with extra chopped parsley and a few whole olives. Pasta Puttanesca is ready—buon appetito!
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