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Pasta alla Puttanesca is a bold and zesty Italian pasta dish that everyone should keep in their weeknight recipe repertoire. Why? Because it’s quick and easy, made from cheap pantry staples, and most importantly – it’s delicious. We are talking serious flavor. Don’t let the anchovies spook you – they just provide some salty umami to the sauce. If you like quick, from-scratch pasta dishes, this recipe is for you!
Looking for more quick pasta recipes? Try my Sicilian pesto, artichoke and spicy sausage spaghetti, or my pasta amatriciana.
Ingredients
This recipe is made with fresh garlic and a handful of pantry staples. I always keep a tin or two of anchovies around so I can throw this sauce together in a pinch. You can use a wide variety of pasta for this sauce but I think thick spaghetti, bucatini, or linguine work best.
- Garlic
- Anchovies
- Red pepper flakes
- Canned Tomato
- Kalamata olives
- Capers
- Pasta
- Cheese and parsley for garnish
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
This dish is all about creating bold flavor with the pantry staples you have on hand. Garlic, anchovies, canned tomatoes, and olives are the key ingredients.
I love kalamata olives and always have those on hand, but you could also use black olives or green olives. Capers are a nice addition but if you don’t have them on hand, you can just add a few more olives. For the tomatoes, I prefer crushed but you can use diced or whole tomatoes (and hand crush them). You can also experiment with herbs and spices. I like red pepper flakes for heat and dried oregano for zest. In the summer, I often grab some fresh basil too.
Pairings
I serve this dish with a simple green side salad or a fennel salad. Some crusty bread and a bottle of red wine are also good options. Try a Sicilian nero d’avola. If you are looking for more wine-pairing suggestions see this article.
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Pasta Puttanesca
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Pasta and Risotto
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
A bold and zest weeknight pasta dish
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 to 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 to 8 anchovies, diced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- pinch of sugar (optional)
- ½ cup kalamata pitted kalamata olives, sliced in half lengthwise
- ¼ cup capers, drained
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
- grated parmesan or pecorino for garnishing
- 1 pound spaghetti or linguine
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of pasta water to a boil
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and add the garlic and anchovies—Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the pepper flakes a cook another minute.
- Next add the tomatoes, salt, cinnamon, and oregano. Raise the heat and bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the olives and capers and lemon juice. Simmer 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook your pasta following the al dente instructions on the package. Drain the pasta and transfer it to your pasta sauce. Toss well. Garnish with parmesan and fresh parsley.
Keywords: Italian, Pasta
