Puttanesca, a recipe of Neapolitan origin, is one of our all-time favourite pasta dishes — and one of our all-time favourite dishes, full stop. The origins of the name ‘Puttanesca’ are somewhat disputed, but the story we heard is that it originated in the brothels of Naples’ Spanish quarters (puttana in Italian means whore, so puttanesca therefore means ‘pasta the whore-ish way.’) The potency of the flavour seems only appropriate, thanks to the saltiness of the anchovies and the pleasantly briny black olives and capers. Puttanesca is sharp, deliciously tomatoey and of course, salty af.
This dish is usually served as a first course in Italy, but we make it for a main course to have alongside a soft Italian red wine and perhaps some salad leaves if you fancy. Below is our recipe for two people. Measurements are approximate — feel free to make small adjustments according to your personal preferences.
Time: Quick
Difficulty level: Easy
Washing up: Low
Ingredients:
Knob of butter
3 tbsp good quality olive oil
The juice of 1/4 of a lemon
250g pasta, for example spaghetti, linguine or bucatini. If you can get hold of it, we absolutely love Waitrose no.1 bucatini, as it has a great al dente texture and the hollow tubes take up the sauce really well
1 small tin of anchovies (30g drained), roughly chopped
2 large garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped
Optional: 1/3 to 1/2 deseeded and finely chopped red chilli, or a pinch of chilli flakes
1 can of good quality chopped tomatoes
A third of a jar (about 50g drained) of good quality black or Kalamata olives, de-stoned and roughly chopped
A couple of tablespoons of capers — however many looks right!
A small handful of basil
Method:
Boil a large saucepan of water and add a generous pinch of salt when it reaches a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente
While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil and butter in a frying pan over a medium-high heat, and tilt the pan to swirl them around together. When gently sizzling, sauté the garlic, anchovies and chilli if using until the anchovies have melted and the garlic is just beginning to brown
Stir in olives and capers and cook for a minute or so longer until sizzling
Add the can of tomatoes and stir well
Turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes
Season with black pepper — no need to add salt
Add the lemon juice and stir well. This is our secret ingredient! We think it gives the sauce a bit of a lift
Drain the pasta, add a knob of butter and stir to stop it from sticking
When the sauce is cooked, tip the drained pasta into the pan of sauce (or the other way around, depending on the size of your cookware) and stir well to combine
Divide between bowls and garnish with basil and a grind of black pepper.
Tips:
We recommend pairing this dish with a Chianti, a light Bardolino or Valpolicella.
The jury's out as to whether to add parmesan to a sauce like this. Anika prefers to add a sprinkle of parmesan because she thinks it makes the flavour more rounded. Whereas Fleurie prefers it without.
We'll leave this not-at-all-controversial decision in your capable hands!
If you want to make a bigger portion to have leftovers for lunch, or simply because you feel like making a veritable vat of pasta, double up on the measurements listed here.
Enjoy! :)
Stay salty af,
Anika and Fleurie