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Authentic Puttanesca Recipe (Pasta alla Puttanesca)
Pasta alla Puttanesca is a bold and flavorful Italian pasta dish made with tomatoes, olives, capers, garlic, anchovies, chili pepper, and extra virgin olive oil. This authentic puttanesca recipe is quick to prepare and combines salty, tangy, and slightly spicy flavors in a rich sauce that coats the pasta beautifully.
Ingredients
- 350 g spaghetti or linguine - 12 oz
- 400 g canned whole peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano - 14 oz
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 5 oil-packed anchovy fillets, drained
- 150 g Gaeta black olives, pitted or whole - 5 oz
- 3 tablespoons salted capers
- 1 small red chili pepper, fresh or dried
- 1 sprig fresh parsley
- salt, only if needed
Instructions
Prepare the Ingredients
- Place the canned whole peeled tomatoes in a bowl and roughly crush them with a fork or your hands. Keep their juices as well; they will become part of the sauce.If using whole Gaeta olives, remove the pits, then roughly chop the olives. You can leave a few whole for serving.
- Finely chop the garlic and rinse the capers thoroughly under cold running water to remove the excess salt, then drain them well. Finely chop the parsley, if using.Now you are ready to make the Puttanesca sauce.
How to Make Puttanesca Sauce
- In a large skillet, heat extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the desalted capers, chopped garlic, chopped olives, anchovy fillets, and the chili pepper.Cook for about 1 minute, stirring continuously, until the anchovies have completely dissolved into the oil.
- Add the crushed peeled tomatoes with their juices and stir well. Let the sauce simmer gently for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.Taste before adding any salt, as the anchovies, capers, and olives already provide plenty of seasoning. Stir in the chopped parsley toward the end of cooking.
Cook the Pasta
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until about 2 to 3 minutes before al dente, following the package cooking time as a guide.Before draining, reserve about ½ cup of the pasta cooking water.
- Transfer the spaghetti to the skillet with the Puttanesca sauce. Toss well and finish cooking the pasta in the sauce for 2 to 3 minutes, adding a small splash of reserved pasta water only if needed.Serve immediately, with a little extra parsley and a few olives on top, if desired.
Nutrition
Serving: 100gCalories: 534kcalCarbohydrates: 72gProtein: 14gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 768mgPotassium: 510mgFiber: 6gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1119IUVitamin C: 31mgCalcium: 61mgIron: 2mg
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