Name: Spaghetti alla Puttanessca
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 200g spaghetti; 1 can (400g) San Marzano peeled tomatoes; 60g pitted black olives (roughly chopped); 2 tbsp capers (rinsed); 4 anchovy fillets in oil; 2 cloves garlic (sliced); Chilli flakes; Extra virgin olive oil; Handful flat-leaf parsley

Recipes

Spaghetti alla Puttanessca

By littlelane

Naples' most famously bold pasta sauce: anchovies, capers, olives, garlic, and San Marzano tomatoes. Puttanesca is intensely savoury, punchy, and unapologetic a pure pantry pasta requiring no fresh ingredients. The anchovies dissolve into the oil, adding depth without fishiness. Ready in 20 minutes, this is the pasta for when you want maximum flavour with absolute minimum effort.

LL

Written by

littlelane

Ingredients list:

5 anchovy fillets
3 cloves of garlic
10–15 pitted green olives
3–4 tbsp of capers
1 x 400g can of San Marzano tomatoes
Pasta of choice (e.g. spaghetti)
Bunch of parsley
Extra virgin olive oil
Reserved pasta water

Directions:

Difficulty: Medium
Feeds: 3-4 people
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Cook the Pasta: Boil your pasta of choice in salted water according to package instructions. Reserve some pasta water before draining.
Prep the Ingredients: Roughly chop the pitted olives, capers, and garlic.
Separate the Parsley: Roughly chop the parsley leaves and separate the stems.
Start the Base: In a deep saucepan, add evoo, garlic, anchovy fillets and parsley stems. Heat gently until the anchovies dissolve into the oil.
Crush the Tomatoes: Using your hands, gently crush the San Marzano tomatoes in a bowl before adding them to the pan.
Add Tomatoes: Pour in the canned San Marzano tomatoes and let simmer for about 5 minutes.
Build the Flavour: Add in the chopped capers and olives. Let the sauce simmer for an additional 5–10 minutes.
Combine with Pasta: Add the cooked pasta directly into the sauce and mix well. Use reserved pasta water as needed to emulsify and loosen the sauce.
Plate & Garnish: Serve the pasta in a shallow bowl. Finish with a generous sprinkle of chopped parsley and evoo!
Optional Upgrade: For extra indulgence, top with a piece of burrata. Slice it open, drizzle with olive oil, and crack some black pepper over.
Serve: Enjoy immediately while hot!