Description
Pasta Puttanesca offers an enticing combination of flavors with its garlic, olives, tomatoes, and anchovies. Perfect for a quick, hearty meal, this recipe requires simple ingredients yet results in a restaurant-quality dish that’s sure to satisfy any craving for comfort food.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 oz spaghetti
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- 4 canned anchovies, optional
- 5 oz black olives, halved lengthwise and pitted
- 2 heaping tablespoons small capers, rinsed
- 1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes, not drained
- ½ cup packed fresh parsley, finely chopped
- cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare your ingredients and have a wide skillet ready.
- Begin boiling a large pot of water for the pasta. Once boiling, add a generous amount of salt and cook the spaghetti until just al dente. Drain, reserving a cup of the pasta water, and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium-low heat, heat the olive oil, then add the crushed garlic and red pepper flakes (if using). Sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the anchovies (if using) and sauté for an additional 30-60 seconds until they dissolve in the oil.
- Stir in the olives and capers, and continue cooking for 1 more minute before adding the drained diced tomatoes and half of the chopped parsley. Sauté for 2 more minutes, stirring frequently.
- Cover the skillet and allow the sauce to simmer over low heat for 8-10 minutes, seasoning lightly with salt.
- Add the cooked spaghetti to the skillet with the sauce. Simmer over medium heat, adding ½ cup of the reserved pasta water gradually until the sauce is glossy and the pasta is well coated.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, garnished with the remaining chopped parsley.
Notes
High-quality bronze-cut spaghetti enhances the flavor of this dish.
Reserve some pasta water to achieve the desired consistency for the sauce.
Feel free to adjust the amount of red pepper flakes based on your spice preference.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 54g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 10mg