Pasta Puttanesca

Classic Pasta Puttanesca is one of my favorite Italian recipes. Coax maximum flavor out of just 7 ingredients in this easy pasta dinner idea.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings servings

Calories 412kcal

1 pound spaghetti (see note 1)
1/3 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
4 tablespoon capers (see note 2)
4 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained (see note 3)
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives halved
2 (28 ounce) cans Italian-style whole (plum-shaped) tomatoes drained and chopped
Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
Parmesan cheese for serving
fresh basil leaves for garnish

In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to boil. Add spaghetti and cook until al dente, about 9 to 10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta water and drain well.
In a large Dutch oven or saucepan, heat oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic and cook until garlic begins to turn golden, but not scorched, about 1 minute.
Stir in capers, anchovy fillets, olives, tomatoes, and crushed red pepper (I like 1 teaspoon). Heat to boiling, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered until slightly thickened, about 30-40 minutes.
Add the pasta to the pot with the sauce and toss until evenly coated. Thin with pasta water if needed. Serve with Parmesan cheese and garnish with fresh basil.

Spaghetti: This recipe calls for spaghetti, but it's certainly not the end-all, be-all of pastas for puttanesca. Other long, thin noodles like linguine or bucatini also works beautifully.
Capers: Capers are the little pickled blossoms of a French shrub. I highly recommend giving the briny beauties a shot, especially in this salty and savory puttanesca sauce! I suggest 4 tablespoons capers for the 6-serving sauce. Scale up or down as you see fit.
Anchovy filets: While anchovies are easy to find in the tinned fish section these days, I seek out olive oil-packed anchovies in a little jar for easy storage. You can also opt for a generous squirt of anchovy paste instead; this is sold in toothpaste-like tubes at specialty grocery stores or online. One 1/4 teaspoon anchovy paste is equal to one anchovy filet.
Yield: This recipe makes six generous servings of a little more than 3 ounces of pasta (uncooked weight). I find this rich enough that this Spaghetti alla Puttanesca portion satisfies as a main dish, but multiply as desired.
Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.