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Plated pasta alla puttanesca on a simple white plate with a fork resting on the side.

Pasta alla Puttanesca

A fast Italian pasta with tomatoes, garlic, olives, capers, and anchovies. The sauce cooks while the pasta boils. It tastes salty, savory, and bright. Dinner hits the table in about half an hour.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 2 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian, Neapolitan
Calories: 450
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Dried pasta such as spaghetti bucatini, or linguine
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Garlic cloves finely sliced
  • Anchovy fillets finely chopped
  • Capers drained
  • Black olives oil-cured, deli-style, or Kalamata, pitted and sliced
  • Canned tomatoes whole or crushed
  • Dried oregano
  • Red pepper flakes
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Salt use lightly
  • Fresh parsley or basil for finishing
  • Reserved pasta cooking water

Method
 

Start the sauce
  1. Heat olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly golden.
Bloom the savory base
  1. Add chopped anchovies, capers, olives, and red pepper flakes. Stir for about one minute until the anchovies melt into the oil.
Add tomatoes
  1. Pour in the canned tomatoes. Crush whole tomatoes by hand if using. Swirl a little water in the empty can and add it to the pan. Season with oregano and black pepper. Add only a small pinch of salt.
Simmer gently
  1. Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer for 10 to 20 minutes. Stir now and then. Taste and adjust balance.
Cook the pasta
  1. Boil pasta in well-salted water until just shy of al dente. Reserve about one cup of pasta water before draining.
Toss and bind
  1. Add the drained pasta to the sauce. Pour in about one quarter cup of reserved pasta water. Toss over low heat for about one minute until the sauce turns glossy and coats the pasta.
Finish and serve
  1. Add more pasta water if the sauce looks tight. Finish with fresh herbs and a small drizzle of olive oil. Serve hot.

Notes

• Taste before adding salt. Olives, capers, and anchovies already season the sauce.
• Use good canned tomatoes. They shape the final flavor.
• Always save pasta water. It helps the sauce cling and stay glossy.
• Serve right away. The sauce looks and tastes best when fresh.