Pasta Puttanesca Recipe
Spaghetti w/tomato, Sicilian olives, anchovy, capers, garlic, fresh basil
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Ingredients
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Pasta
Sauce
Finishing
Method
Pasta
- 1
Boil pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Add 12 oz spaghetti and cook until al dente according to package directions (usually 8–10 minutes). Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
- 2
Before draining, reserve 1 cup of the starchy cooking water. Drain the pasta and set aside while finishing the sauce.
Sauce
- 3
Prepare aromatics and anchovies
Peel and thinly slice 4 garlic cloves. Drain the anchovy fillets and roughly chop them. Halve and pit olives if not already halved. Rinse 2 tablespoons capers to remove excess brine.
- 4
Sauté garlic and anchovies
Heat 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly golden at the edges, about 1–1½ minutes. Add the chopped anchovy fillets and use a wooden spoon to mash them into the oil; they will dissolve and season the oil, about 1 minute.
- 5
Build the sauce
Add 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes and 1 tablespoon tomato paste to the pan. Cook, stirring, for 30–45 seconds to caramelize the paste slightly. Pour in the 28 oz crushed tomatoes, stir to combine, and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low.
- 6
Add olives and capers
Stir in the halved Sicilian/Kalamata olives and the rinsed capers. Simmer gently for 8–10 minutes to meld flavors and slightly thicken the sauce, stirring occasionally.
- 7
Season and finish
Taste the sauce and add up to ½ teaspoon granulated sugar if the tomatoes taste too acidic. Add ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste (remember anchovies and capers are salty—start with no additional salt and adjust). Stir in 1 cup torn fresh basil leaves and 2 tablespoons chopped parsley in the last minute of cooking.
Finishing
- 8
Combine pasta and sauce
Add the drained al dente spaghetti directly to the simmering sauce. Toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time (start with ¼ cup) to loosen and help the sauce cling. Continue tossing and cooking together over medium heat for 1–2 minutes until the pasta is fully coated and the sauce reaches desired consistency. Add more pasta water if needed.
- 9
Serve
Remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasoning. If desired, stir in ½ cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan for a creamier finish (note: cheese is optional in traditional puttanesca). Divide among plates, garnish with a few whole basil leaves or extra parsley, and serve immediately.