There is a moment when making Pasta alla Puttanesca when the garlic, anchovies, olives and capers begin to fill the pan with their aroma, just before the tomatoes go in. This sauce does not need a long cooking time: within minutes it becomes rich and intensely flavorful, perfect when you want a pasta dish without too many steps.
Each ingredient remains clearly recognizable. The tomatoes pick up the flavors from the pan, while the anchovies melt into the oil and the capers, olives and chilli provide the rest. The spaghetti are finished directly in the pan with the sauce until everything clings nicely to the pasta.
A few minutes at the stove, one pan and a pasta dish best eaten as soon as it is ready. That simplicity is part of what makes puttanesca such an easy recipe to remember.
Pasta alla Puttanesca: Italian Pasta with Olives and Capers
Description
A bold Italian pasta made with peeled tomatoes, Gaeta olives, capers, anchovies, garlic and chilli. The spaghetti are finished directly in the pan so the sauce coats every strand.
Ingredients
Instructions
How to Make Pasta alla Puttanesca
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Start the sauce 🫕
Heat the olive oil in a large pan with the lightly crushed garlic clove and dried chilli. Add the anchovies and let them melt over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon.
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Add the capers 🫒
Rinse the capers under running water to remove the excess salt, drain them well and add them to the pan. Stir for a few moments to let them flavor the oil.
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Cook the tomatoes 🍅
Add the peeled tomatoes, crushing them directly in the pan, and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. The sauce should reduce without becoming dry.
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Cook the spaghetti 🍝
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add the salt and cook the spaghetti. Drain them al dente, reserving some of the pasta cooking water.
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Finish the sauce 🌿
Lightly crush the pitted Gaeta olives with the blade of a knife. Remove the garlic from the sauce, add the olives and taste before adding any salt. Stir in the chopped parsley.
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Toss the pasta 🥄
Transfer the spaghetti to the pan and toss them with the sauce for a few moments. If necessary, add a little reserved pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce and help it coat the spaghetti evenly.
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Serve 🍽️
Serve the Pasta alla Puttanesca immediately while piping hot.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 4
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 520kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 17g27%
- Saturated Fat 3g15%
- Sodium 950mg40%
- Total Carbohydrate 75g25%
- Dietary Fiber 6g24%
- Sugars 7g
- Protein 16g32%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
Gaeta olives, salt-packed capers and anchovies already bring plenty of saltiness to the sauce, so taste it towards the end of cooking before adding any extra salt.
Salt-packed capers should be rinsed thoroughly before using. Drain them well afterwards so they do not add unnecessary water to the pan.
Reserve some of the spaghetti cooking water before draining. You can add a little during the final toss if the sauce has reduced too much.
