Experience the bold flavors of Italian cuisine with this classic pasta dish. Pasta Puttanesca sauce is made primarily with garlic, olives, tomatoes & capers. This authentic recipe is adapted from Sophia Loren’s cookbook.
This sauce is very easy to prepare, it is full of bold savory flavors, making it different from other spaghetti sauces. When in season you can use fresh tomatoes in place of the can of crushed tomatoes.
Puttanesca sauce is a traditional pasta dish from Naples. It is a quick meal to make using pantry staples: canned tomatoes, garlic, anchovies, olives and capers.
Ingredients in Puttanesca Sauce: It is worth seeking out fresh deli-style Kalamata olives either in oil or brine.
Kalamata olives have a distinct fruity, wine-like taste. They add the perfect amount of bitterness to the sauce. You will find that they are also richer, sweeter tasting than black olives.
The anchovies are what makes this sauce unique, without them the flavor isn’t quite the same, but if you are not fond of anchovies, go ahead and omit them.
If you wish to make this a vegetarian/vegan dish, then leave out the anchovies, and add a tiny bit more of garlic, oregano and capers.
Try some of our other recipes:
Pasta Fagioli (White Bean Soup)
Pasta Alla Puttanesca
Equipment
- large pot
- skillet
- colander
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 2-3 anchovy fillets, drained and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2-3 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped or 1 can crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup Kalamata black olives, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon capers, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup minced Italian parley or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1/4 cup water reserved from cooking pasta use this if more liquid is needed
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a pinch of salt, and drop in the pasta. Cook according to instructions on the box.
- In a mortar, pound the anchovies and garlic to a paste with a pestle (alternatively, finely chop them). Heat the oil and butter in a pan, add the anchovies/garlic paste, and sauté for about 1-3 minutes over medium heat being careful not to brown the garlic. Add the tomatoes, olives and capers. Cook for 15 minutes.
- When the pasta is al dente, drain it and dress it with the sauce. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.