Pasta Puttanesca
Snafu06
Photo by James Ransom
- Serves
- 4
- Prep Time
- 15 Minutes
- Cook Time
- 15 Minutes
This is one of the first recipes my stepfather ever made for the family and one of the first recipes I ever taught myself to make. It's quick and spicy and holds up well to variations.
Ingredients
- Salt
- 1 pound dried pasta (fusilli or spaghetti work well)
- 2 28-ounce cans Italian plum tomatoes, San Marzano if you can find them
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 8 anchovy fillets, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (makes it pretty hot, adjust to suit your own tastes)
- 4 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 cup black olives, pitted, sliced into thirds
- 1/4 cup pimento-stuffed green olives, sliced into thirds
- 1/4 cup nonpareil capers, drained
- 1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped, divided
- Pepper to taste
Featured Video
Between the anchovies, capers, and two kinds of olives, this pasta packs a punch -- it's salty, bright, and balanced in a way that reminds us of summer. Crushed red pepper adds a spot-on hit of heat. The sauce works great with canned tomatoes, making for a winter- and pantry-friendly dish that's a welcome change to winter's heavier, cozier dishes; come summer, though, fresh tomatoes will really shine here.
Directions
- Step 1
Start salted water boiling for the pasta. You're going to cook the pasta according to package instructions while you make the sauce, but stop and drain 1 to 2 minutes short of the directed cooking time.
- Step 2
Drain and quarter the tomatoes, squeezing out as much liquid as possible without destroying the tomatoes themselves (they'll break down in the sauce).
- Step 3
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until shimmering.
- Step 4
Add the anchovy fillets to the skillet. Stir and break them up until they completely dissolve.
- Step 5
Add the crushed red pepper and let it cook for a few seconds, just to let it blossom.
- Step 6
Add the garlic and continue to stir.
- Step 7
When the garlic begins to brown just a little, add the tomatoes and simmer until they start to break down and thicken into a sauce (10 to 15 minutes).
- Step 8
Add oregano, olives, capers, and half the parsley. Simmer for about ten minutes more until it reaches a sauce like consistency. Taste for seasoning.
- Step 9
Take the drained pasta and add it to a large skillet over medium heat. Pour in a small amount of the pasta sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente. Alternatively, you could use tomato juice from the canned tomatoes in this step. Either way, don't skip it, it really adds to the flavor.
- Step 10
Remove from heat, combine with remaining sauce, sprinkle with the rest of the parsley and serve immediately.