What Is Pasta Puttanesca?

Pasta Puttanesca is a much loved Italian classic pasta dish and has been a go-to for years. A weeknight lifesaver, it uses ingredients you likely already have in your pantry and the process to make it couldn’t be simpler. While the pasta is cooking, sauté a hefty amount of garlic in olive oil until fragrant and just sizzling. When you add in the anchovies, the pan should be medium-hot so the anchovies slowly dissolve, not fry, alongside the garlic. The capers, chilli flakes, and olives go in next so the heat releases all their oil and lovely flavour. Lastly, the tomatoes are added to the mix and it takes minutes, not hours, for the sauce to be ready.

Garlicky, punchy, briny, and dangerously addictive Pasta Puttanesca is sure to be a hit no matter who you serve it to.

Ingredients And Notes 

Here is what you’ll need for this easy Pasta Puttanesca:

• Pasta 
• Extra virgin olive oil 
• Garlic
• Capers
• Anchovies 
• Black olives 
• Crushed red pepper flakes 
• Canned tomatoes or passata 
• Fresh parsley 

Note: The absence of cheese on the ingredient list is not a mistake. Pasta Puttanesca is among only a handful of pasta dishes that I don’t finish with showers of grated parmesan or pecorino cheese. Not just because the pasta has fish (I subscribe to the no cheese on fish camp) but because it is such a savoury and flavourful dish that you really don’t need it.

How to make Pasta Puttanesca

Delightfully easy, and so, so good, you’ll be making this pasta again and again. Here is the quick step-by-step:

• Start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add a generous amount of salt.
• While you wait for the water to boil, start the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large deep saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and sauté until fragrant and golden, about 1 minute. Add the anchovies and stir until they melt and disintegrate into the oil.
• Stir in the capers, crushed red pepper flakes, and olives and sauté for just about 1 more minute or so. Pour in the canned tomatoes and quickly help break them down with a wooden spoon or spatula.
• Boil the pasta. I have a Sofia Professional range and the crescendo burner has 5 different levels, cooking my pasta to al dente perfection. Drain the pasta, reserving a cup or two of the pasta water. Alternatively, skip the draining and use tongs to transfer the slightly undercooked pasta to the saucepan. Toss with the sauce until thoroughly coated. Cook the pasta in the sauce for 1 or 2 minutes or until pasta is perfectly al dente. Remove from heat and serve immediately garnished with chopped parsley, if desired.

What to pair with Pasta Puttanesca

Pasta Puttanesca alongside a fresh salad and warm, crusty bread is always a nice touch. But what wine will bring out the combined flavors Pasta Puttanesca offers? Vermentino is a salty and citrusy white wine from Sardinia with a subtle herbal finish. The bright acidity refreshes the palate between the intense salinity of the olives, anchovies and capers. The mineral backbone of Vermentino gives structure to hold up to the bold flavours of this pasta dish.