Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
Puttanesca is a study in salt and heat. You build a base of olive oil, garlic, anchovies, and red pepper flakes, then let tomatoes, olives, and capers simmer down into a thick, clinging sauce that coats the pasta strands evenly. The dish relies on the punch of the pantry ingredients to cut through the starch of the spaghetti.
Mind the salt
Because your flavor foundation relies on anchovies, capers, and olives, keep the pasta water less salty than usual. Taste the sauce before adding any additional salt at the end.
- Large pasta pot
- Wide, deep skillet
- Tongs
- Microplane or knife
What goes in.
- 1 lbspaghetti
- 4 tbspextra virgin olive oil
- 4 clovesgarlic, thinly sliced
- 6anchovy fillets, oil-packed
- 1/2 tspdried red pepper flakes
- 28 ozcanned whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
- 1/2 cupkalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped
- 2 tbspcapers, rinsed
- 1/4 cupfresh parsley, chopped
Dissolving the Anchovies
Don't just stir the anchovies in; push them into the hot oil with the back of a wooden spoon until they disintegrate into a paste. This infuses the oil with a savory depth that forms the backbone of the sauce.
The method.
Heat the base
Add olive oil to the skillet over medium heat. Once it shimmers, add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until the garlic edges turn pale gold.
Dissolve the anchovies
Add the anchovies and mash them into the oil until they disappear. You want a fragrant, golden-brown oil.
Build the sauce
Pour in the tomatoes. Bring to a simmer, then stir in the olives and capers. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes until the sauce thickens and the oil begins to separate slightly from the tomato solids.
Boil the pasta
While the sauce simmers, drop the spaghetti into salted boiling water. Pull it out two minutes before the package directions indicate.
Marry the pasta and sauce
Transfer the pasta directly into the skillet using tongs. Add a splash of pasta water and toss vigorously over medium-high heat until the sauce coats every strand and turns glossy.
Finish
Remove from heat, fold in the fresh parsley, and serve immediately.
Other turns to take.
Spicy extra
Add a teaspoon of calabrian chili paste along with the anchovies for a more aggressive heat.
Toasted crumb
Top the finished pasta with a handful of toasted panko breadcrumbs for texture.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use high-quality canned tomatoes; they are the majority of your sauce's volume.
Do not rinse the oil off the capers entirely if you want a saltier kick.
Keep the sauce on a very low simmer while the pasta boils so it stays hot and ready to absorb the starchy water.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use dried herbs instead of fresh parsley?
You can, but add them to the oil during the first step so they bloom. Fresh parsley is added at the end for a bright, grassy lift.
What if I don't like anchovies?
They provide a base note that isn't fishy once cooked, but you can omit them. If you do, you will need to add a pinch of salt to balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
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