What is not delicious when it comes to pasta recipes? Meet this Italian pasta puttanesca, one of my kids’ favorites. What I love about this (as a mom in the kitchen) is that it is simple and easy. I can say that this is my favorite pasta recipe when I think of “fast and easy.” And why not? Its simple ingredients are pantry staples – we have them almost always. Just reach out, and spend a few minutes cooking, and viola!
What is Special About Pasta Puttanesca?
Pasta Puttanesca is another delicious pasta dish from the vibrant South of Italy. This isn’t just your average tomato-based pasta sauce; it’s a taste of Italian history on a plate.
How different is it from other pasta dishes? I can hear you asking. Its bold, briny flavors, thanks to a few key ingredients that you probably have tucked away in your pantry: tomatoes, lots of garlic (and I mean lots), and extra virgin olive oil to create the perfect magic of home-cooked pasta to happen.
Chopped anchovy fillets and capers are the unsung heroes that infuse the sauce with this rich umami essence.
Black olives deliver that signature tangy punch, while a sprinkle of fiery red pepper flakes kicks in the heat to medium. It’s all simmered on the stove until the flavors are more entangled.
Once you’ve cooked your pasta (al dente, of course!) in a pot of water seasoned with just the right touch of salt, you are almost done.
Mix the tender pasta with that hearty Puttanesca Sauce, save a bit of pasta cooking water to get the consistency on point, and toss in a handful of fresh parsley and a shake of ground black pepper for a pop of color and freshness.
Key Ingredients
- Fresh Tomatoes (San Marzano variety preferred)
- Garlic cloves
- Anchovy Fillets
- Black or Kalamata olives (or a mix with green olives if you’re feeling adventurous)
- Red pepper flakes
- Fresh parsley
- Extra-Virgin Olive oil
- Capers
- Pasta (your choice)
- Pasta cooking water
- Seasonings (salt and black pepper)
Variations of Italian Pasta Puttanesca
Traditionally paired with spaghetti pasta, this punchy puttanesca sauce loves to cling onto various pasta shapes, each offering a new twist on this classic.
For the adventurers, bucatini is another option. It’s like spaghetti bulked up and went hollow in the middle, which means it’s fantastic for soaking up every drop of that tangy sauce.
Let’s not overlook penne. While not a traditional choice, it’s like the wildcard of pasta shapes. The tubes catch pockets of sauce, making each bite a mini flavor explosion.
Below, let’s indulge in a quick rundown of possible pasta variations:
- Spaghetti – The classic choice for a traditional experience.
- Linguine – A flatter option for more sauce per bite.
- Vermicelli – Finer noodles for a delicate texture.
- Bucatini – Hollow strands perfect for capturing sauce.
- Penne – Short tubes that encapsulate the sauce and mix-ins.
So, don’t be afraid to mix it up! Each shape offers a new dimension to your Pasta Puttanesca, making these Italian recipes as versatile as they are delicious.
How to Make Italian Puttanesca Pasta
Cooking the pasta
Let’s get to cooking this Italian pasta recipe! Crank up a pot of water, seasoned generously with salt, until it’s boiling. Toss in your pasta of choice and cook it watching the clock closely – you’re aiming for just shy of al dente. Use the package directions as a guide, but trust your instincts too – your taste buds will thank you! Once it’s almost there, scoop it out and get ready for some saucepan action. Remember to save some pasta cooking water – you will need it.
Making the sauce
Alright, time to bring out the big guns for the sauce: Anchovy fillets and fresh garlic cloves. Warm up some virgin olive oil in your pan over medium heat and let those little anchovy fillets (if using) and lots of garlic do a sizzling dance until they’re perfectly fragrant. Adding a bit of that pasta water you cleverly saved will make sure they bond like they’re made for each other. A gentle simmer here will thicken the sauce and coat your pasta in a masterpiece of flavor.
Combining the pasta and sauce
Toss in that fresh parsley – it’s like a sprinkle of Italian sunshine. Serve it up by mixing most of the sauce with the pasta, then top each dish with an extra spoonful for a feast that pleases both the eye and the palate. And there you have it – a traditional Italian Puttanesca sauce that comes together in no time, ready to turn any pasta dinner into a bold and sassy affair. Buon appetito!
Serving suggestions
- Presentation: Spoon generous portions of this rich, aromatic pasta into warmed bowls, ensuring that the olives and capers are well distributed.
- Garnish: To evoke that fresh-from-the-garden vibe, give each bowl a liberal sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley. This not only adds a pop of color but also an extra zip of freshness.
- Season to Taste: While your Pasta Puttanesca should be flavorful enough, invite diners to tweak it to their liking. A little extra pinch of kosher salt or a twist of black pepper can tailor the dish to personal preferences.
- Enjoy Immediately: Prompt serving ensures every mouthful is enjoyed as intended – toppings perfectly blended and pasta impeccably coated with that delicious sauce.
- Pairing. Pair your Italian pasta puttanesca with garlic bread. Wonderful.
Buon appetito!
Storing and Freezing Pasta Puttanesca
Got some leftovers? Well, Pasta Puttanesca will hang out quite happily in your fridge for up to 3 days. Make sure to pop it into an airtight container first. This way, you’ll seal in the flavors and guard against any fridge odors that might be lurking around. When it’s time to reheat, zapping it in the microwave is the way to go. Just be sure to use a microwave-safe dish, cover it, and give it a gentle stir mid-way. This will help things heat up nicely and evenly.
As tempting as it is to make enough pasta to feed a small army, try to keep your Puttanesca party size appropriate. Mix only what you can handle in one sitting to keep that fresh taste and texture on point.
Freezing leftovers
Leftover puttanesca sauce can be frozen. Just scoop it into a freezer-friendly airtight container and it will keep for up to 3 months. Pro tip: when you’re ready to relive that Italian dish magic, thaw that leftover sauce in the fridge then heat it back to life. You’ll thank yourself come those busy days when you’re looking for a quick but delicious meal fix.
Just remember, when it comes to the actual pasta part of the leftovers, it’s better to steer clear of the big chill (a.k.a. freezing). Stick to fridge storage for that, and let the sauce do the solo deep freeze if needed.
Print
Italian Pasta Puttanesca Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main dish
- Method: cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Classic Italian Pasta Puttanesca meal in more or less 20 minutes with this easy-to-follow recipe from ingredients that are already in your pantry.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsps olive oil
- 2 tbsps cooking oil for boiling pasta
- cloves garlic (loads of this)
- 3–5 anchovy filets
- 2 cups quality tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and chopped
- 1/2 cup black olives
- 2 tablespoons capers
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- 500g your type of pasta
- Chopped fresh parsley to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to boil, add cooking oil and season with salt. Cook until close to aldente. Drain and set aside.
- In a medium skillet, gently heat two tablespoons olive oil with garlic and anchovies over medium-low heat. Stir until garlic is lightly golden.
- Add tomatoes. Cook while stirring occasionally until the mixture becomes a bit thick, saucy is more like it. This will take between -6-10.
- Add olives, capers, and red pepper flakes. Cook the sauce mixture for 1-2 minutes.
- Add pasta to the sauce and stir until well-mixed.
- Add extra salt and ground black pepper as necessary.
- Garnish with chopped parsley, if using.
Notes
You can use canned tomatoes, instead of fresh ones. Faster.
Feel free to use anchovy paste instead of filets. We need that anchovy taste. Better yet, a combination of anchovies and paste would be best.
Adjust salt if you added the already salted water from pre-cooking the pasta.
You feel like adding parmesan cheese as garnishing? Feel free.
Try this pasta marinara recipe with similar ingredients to this puttanesca recipe.
