Oh man, this coronavirus really has made everyone go crazy. I mean just go to any grocery store and you’ll see people panic buying all of the items with long shelf life. All the canned goods are out, all the pasta is out, rice & beans out, shit even the fresh produce section is practically depleted. And don’t get me wrong, I do think that the coronavirus is serious. I just never would have guessed that I would witness people going into full hysteria so quickly in my lifetime. It’s truly the craziest thing I’ve ever seen. But anyways enough with my rantings. Now that everyone has a well-stocked pantry/fridge I thought what better time to show you, folks, a recipe to use all of you’re newly stocked up provisions. I’m talking about spaghetti alla puttanesca.
So let’s review the ingredients.
- Spaghetti
- Canned tomatoes
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Crushed red pepper
- Black olives
- Capers
- Anchovies, either in a can or paste
All of these ingredients have a great shelf life! You can store spaghetti, canned tomatoes, olive oil, crushed red pepper, and anchovies for well over a year in your pantry. While black olive and capers can easily last in your fridge for months. So you really should have these ingredients on hand. And not just for an emergency, but also just so you can make delicious spaghetti alla puttanesca anytime you and your family are craving it! So if you’re ready then let’s get cooking.
Tips, Tricks & Suggestions
- While it is traditional to pair puttanesca sauce with spaghetti you can easily swap it out with any other type of pasta. So really just use whatever you have on hand.
- When it comes to the tomatoes I highly recommend you purchase canned whole tomatoes and crush them by hand. To do this simply pour the canned tomatoes into a bowl, stick your hands in, and squeeze the tomatoes until they are roughly broken down into chunks. Not only does this give the sauce a nice texture, but it really gives it that rustic homemade feel.
- Can you add cheese to this? Well, tradition would tell us no. But honestly, you’re making this for yourself, not putting it up in an authentic spaghetti alla puttanesca competition. So you do you. Either sprinkle some on top after cooking or if you want it mixed into the sauce simply stir some in at the last second of the cooking process.
- While the anchovies are considered a necessary part of this recipe you can leave them out if you want to make this dish vegan. You’ll still end up with a delicious dish.
- If you like this recipe then check out our other pasta dishes penne arrabbiata, and penne alla vodka.
Spaghetti alla Puttanesca Recipe
Prep time: 2 minutes
Cook time: 12 to 15 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
1 Lb of Spaghetti
28 oz Can of whole tomatoes, crushed by hand
3 Cloves of garlic, cut into thin slivers
3 Anchovy filets, or 2 Teaspoons of anchovy paste
½ to 2 Teaspoons of crushed red pepper, depending on how spicy you like it
2 Tablespoons of capers
¾ Cup of pitted black olives
¼ Cup of extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Garnish:
Minced parsley leaves, or basil leaves
Instructions
- Get a large pot of water to a boil.
- Fry the aromatics: Get out a large walled pan, big enough to hold the sauce and pasta, and place it over medium-high heat. Pour in the olive oil and toss in the garlic, chili, and anchovies. Fry the ingredients in the oil for a minute or two.
- Make the sauce: Add the tomatoes, capers, and olives to the pan and stir until everything is mixed together. Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer for 10 to 15 minutes making sure to stir every so often.
- While the sauce is cooking dump the spaghetti in the boiling water and cook until al dente.
- Finish the dish: Use either tongs or a pasta fork to transfer the cooked spaghetti to the pan that the sauce is cooking in. Follow this up by adding in a splash or two of the pasta water as the starch from the water will help to thicken up the sauce. Then toss and stir everything so that all the pasta is covered in sauce and let it finish cooking in the sauce for a couple of minutes.
Once the sauce has thickened up taste a strand of the spaghetti and add salt and pepper to it if needed.
- Serve your spaghetti alla puttanesca immediately and garnish with either minced parsley leaves or minced basil. Enjoy!
Spaghetti alla Puttanesca Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Lb of Spaghetti
- 28 oz Can of whole tomatoes crushed by hand
- 3 Cloves of garlic cut into thin slivers
- 3 Anchovy filets or 2 Teaspoons of anchovy paste
- ½ to 2 Teaspoons of crushed red pepper depending on how spicy you like it
- 2 Tablespoons of capers
- ¾ Cup of pitted black olives
- ¼ Cup of extra virgin olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
Garnish:
- Minced parsley leaves or basil leaves
Instructions
- Get a large pot of water to a boil.
- Fry the aromatics: Get out a large walled pan, big enough to hold the sauce and pasta, and place it over medium-high heat. Pour in the olive oil and toss in the garlic, chili, and anchovies. Fry the ingredients in the oil for a minute or two.
- Make the sauce: Add the tomatoes, capers, and olives to the pan and stir until everything is mixed together. Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer for 10 to 15 minutes making sure to stir every so often.
- While the sauce is cooking dump the spaghetti in the boiling water and cook until al dente.
- Finish the dish: Use either tongs or a pasta fork to transfer the cooked spaghetti to the pan that the sauce is cooking in. Follow this up by adding in a splash or two of the pasta water as the starch from the water will help to thicken up the sauce. Then toss and stir everything so that all the pasta is covered in sauce and let it finish cooking in the sauce for a couple of minutes. Once the sauce has thickened up taste a strand of the spaghetti and add salt and pepper to it if needed.
- Serve your spaghetti alla puttanesca immediately and garnish with either minced parsley leaves or minced basil. Enjoy!
Check out these blogs for more inspiration on how to make spaghetti alla puttanesca.
From Inside the Rustic Kitchen
From Olivia’s Cuisine
