Puttanesca Pasta Recipe
Italian · Main course · 30 min total
A bold, briny, and spicy Italian pasta sauce made with pantry staples like olives, capers, anchovies, and tomatoes. This quick and flavorful dish is perfect for a weeknight dinner.
10
min prep
min prep
20
min cook
min cook
4
servings
servings
480
kcal/serving
kcal/serving
Ingredients
- 400g (14 oz) spaghetti or linguine
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 4 anchovy fillets, chopped (or 1 teaspoon anchovy paste)
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
- 1 can (400g/14 oz) whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
- 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
- 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- Grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add anchovies and red pepper flakes; cook, stirring, until anchovies dissolve, about 1 minute.
- Add crushed tomatoes, olives, and capers. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Add drained pasta to the skillet with the sauce. Toss well, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time if needed to loosen the sauce. Stir in parsley.
- Serve immediately, topped with grated cheese if desired.
Tips
- For a milder flavor, reduce or omit the red pepper flakes.
- If you don't have anchovies, you can substitute with 1 tablespoon of fish sauce.
- This sauce is also great with other long pasta like bucatini or short shapes like penne.
AI estimate may be inaccurate · Terms