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the finished spaghetti alla puttanesca
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Spaghetti alla Puttanesca Recipe

Prep Time2 minutes
Cook Time12 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!