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ItalianAuthentic Cuisine

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

Serves 4 to 6 Entree pasta, Pasta & Rice

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca hails from the sun-drenched region of Campania, where simplicity meets the sea's bounty. Born from humble origins, this dish is a staple of Italian home cooking, often prepared for a quick yet satisfying dinner. It's the embodiment of a no-fuss approach, where ingredients are measured with the heart and served with a flourish that only an Italian family can muster.

Expect a robust and briny symphony, where the saltiness of anchovies and capers dances with the sweetness of San Marzano tomatoes. The Gaeta olives add a hint of earthiness, while garlic infuses its aromatic essence. Each forkful delivers a burst of Mediterranean sunshine, reminding you that sometimes the simplest meals are the most unforgettable.

Ingredients

  • 400 gspaghetti
  • 400 gSan Marzano tomatoes — crushed
  • 100 gGaeta olives — pitted
  • 3 tbspcapers — rinsed
  • 4 clovesgarlic — sliced
  • 6anchovy fillets
  • 4 tbspextra virgin olive oil
  • to tastefine sea salt

Method

  1. Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, add a generous amount of fine sea salt to the water, then add 400 g of spaghetti. Cook the spaghetti until it's al dente, which means it should be firm to the bite. Reserve about a cup of the pasta cooking water before draining the spaghetti.
  2. In a wide, heavy-bottomed pan, heat 4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced, and cook until they become fragrant and just start to turn golden, being careful not to let them burn.
  3. Add 6 anchovy fillets to the pan and use a wooden spoon to gently mash them into the oil until they dissolve. This will create a savory base for the sauce.
  4. Add 3 tbsp of capers and 100 g of Gaeta olives, halved, to the pan. Stir them into the oil and anchovy mixture, allowing the flavors to meld together for about a minute.
  5. Pour in 400 g of San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand or with a spoon. Stir to combine all the ingredients and let the sauce simmer gently. Cook until the sauce thickens slightly and the tomatoes have broken down, giving off a rich aroma.
  6. Remove the pan from the heat and add the drained spaghetti to the sauce. Toss the pasta thoroughly to coat it with the sauce, adding a bit of the reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the mixture and help the sauce cling to the spaghetti.
  7. Taste the pasta and adjust the seasoning with more fine sea salt if necessary. Serve immediately, allowing the flavors to shine without any additional garnish.
Cover of Authentic Italian Cuisine
From the cookbook

Authentic Italian Cuisine

This recipe is from Authentic Italian Cuisine by Yassine Sbiti — the Italian volume in the ComidaTime International Cuisines series.

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