Mezzi Paccheri Alla Puttanesca Recipe
Ingredienti per 2: 200gr mezzi Paccheri, 300gr pomodori pelati, 2 spicchi d’aglio, 4 alici sott’olio, 30gr capperi, 30gr olive taggiasche, 1 peperoncino, 10gr zucchero, Sale, Prezzemolo, Olio evo.
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Ingredients
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Pasta
Puttanesca sauce
Method
Pasta
- 1
Boil pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add a generous pinch of salt (about 1 tbs per 4–5 liters); for 2 servings a medium pot is fine. Add 200 g mezzi paccheri and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until al dente according to package timing (typically 10–12 minutes). Reserve 120 ml (about 1/2 cup) of the pasta cooking water before draining. Do not rinse. Drain the pasta and set aside, keeping it hot.
Puttanesca sauce
- 2
Prepare ingredients
Rinse capers under cold water to remove excess salt, then drain. Pit the Taggiasca olives if not pitted and halve them. Chop the anchovy fillets finely. Lightly crush the garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife and peel; keep whole or roughly chopped depending on preference. Thinly slice the fresh chili (remove seeds for less heat). Crush the peeled canned tomatoes by hand or with a spoon into a bowl so they’re roughly broken up.
- 3
Sauté aromatics and anchovies
Heat 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a wide sauté pan over medium heat. Add the crushed garlic and sliced chili and cook gently for 1–2 minutes until fragrant but not browned. Add the chopped anchovy fillets and stir; they will melt into the oil over about 1 minute.
- 4
Add capers and olives
Add the rinsed capers and halved Taggiasca olives to the pan. Stir and cook for 1–2 minutes so they release flavor into the oil.
- 5
Add tomatoes and simmer
Pour in the 300 g peeled tomatoes (broken up). Stir to combine, reduce heat to low-medium, and let simmer gently for 8–10 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. If the tomatoes are very acidic, add the 10 g sugar and stir to balance acidity. Taste and add about 1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste), remembering the capers and anchovies are salty.
- 6
- 7
Combine pasta and sauce
Return the drained hot mezzi paccheri to the pan with the sauce (or add the sauce to the pot of pasta). Add about 60–120 ml (1/4–1/2 cup) reserved pasta cooking water as needed to loosen the sauce and help it cling to the pasta. Toss continuously over medium heat for 1–2 minutes until the pasta is evenly coated and the sauce is glossy. Taste and correct salt or heat if necessary.
- 8
