Pasta alla Puttanesca
Have you ever tried Pasta alla Puttanesca? Pasta alla Puttanesca has become one of our favorite recipes when I’m lacking ideas or don’t have time to go to the groceries store. Why? Because it’s super easy to make and in general I always have all the ingredients for this recipe in stock.
How does Pasta alla Puttanesca taste?
Pasta alla Puttanesca comes from Italy and more precisely from the city of Naples. It’s a pasta dish, usually made with spaghetti, served with a tomato sauce seasoned with capers, anchovies, olives and sometimes some dried herbs such as oregano or thyme.
The great thing about this recipe is that most of the ingredients are available in a can. So all you have to do is have capers, anchovies and tomato sauce as well as a some pasta and you’re done! Be careful, however, to choose good quality products (even in can), especially for the tomatoes and anchovies.
The origin of the name alla Puttanesca
There are several hypotheses on the origin of the name “puttanesca”. One is that this recipe would be an invention of the whores ( puttana) from the port of Naples who would have created this recipe either to attract customers to their brothel or because they did not have time to go buy fresh ingredients for cooking. Since this recipe does not require, as explained above, almost only canned or preserved ingredients.
The other hypothesis is that the name “puttanesca” comes from the word puttana but to be taken in the second degree. Indeed, in Italian the word puttana is also used in colloquial language as an insult. Pasta alla puttanesca would therefore be the derogatory name to describe a recipe in which inexpensive and therefore vulgar ingredients are mixed together.
Regardless of its name and origins, this recipe is delicious!
Recipe for Pasta alla Puttanesca
For about 4 people you need the following ingredients:
Ingredients
- 400 g pasta, spaghetti, tagliatelle or other
- 400 g whole tomatoes, in can
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 8 anchovy fillets, in oil
- 2 tablespoons of capers
- 1 small fresh red chili
- 100 g black olives, Kalamata
- Dry herbs: Thyme, rosemary, dried oregano
- Olive oil
- 1 handful of cherry tomatoes (optional)
Preparation
Peel the onion and cut it into thin strips. Chop the garlic cloves and the anchovy fillets. Finely cut the red chili.
In a large saucepan, heat a little olive oil. Then sauté the onion, garlic and chili over low heat until the onion is translucent. Add the anchovies and mix well.
Add the tomatoes, dry herbs, olives and capers. Bring to boil. Add salt and pepper. Then cook over low heat for about 15 minutes.
Cook the pasta as directed on the package. Reserve 10 cl (1/2 cup) of pasta water removed at the end of cooking.
Drain the pasta. Add the pasta water to the tomato sauce then pour the pasta into the sauce. Mix well.
Serve immediately. Add a dash of olive oil to finish.
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Pasta alla Puttanesca
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Ingredients
- 400 g pasta spaghetti, tagliatelle or other
- 400 g whole tomatoes in can
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 8 anchovy fillets in oil
- 2 tablespoons of capers
- 1 small fresh red chili
- 100 g black olives Kalamata
- Dry herbs: Thyme rosemary, dried oregano
- Olive oil
- 1 handful of cherry tomatoes optional
Instructions
- Peel the onion and cut it into thin strips. Chop the garlic cloves and the anchovy fillets. Finely cut the red chili.
- In a large saucepan, heat a little olive oil. Then sauté the onion, garlic and chili over low heat until the onion is translucent. Add the anchovies and mix well.
- Add the tomatoes, dry herbs, olives and capers. Bring to boil. Add salt and pepper. Then cook over low heat for about 15 minutes.
- Cook the pasta as directed on the package. Reserve 10 cl (1/2 cup) of pasta water removed at the end of cooking.
- Drain the pasta. Add the pasta water to the tomato sauce then pour the pasta into the sauce. Mix well.
- Serve immediately. Add a dash of olive oil to finish.
