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Bowl of spaghetti alla puttanesca with glossy tomato sauce, olives, capers, and parsley on a wooden table

Pasta alla Puttanesca

A sharp, briny Neapolitan pasta sauce built from anchovies, olives, capers, and canned tomatoes, ready in 40 minutes from pantry staples.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 520

Ingredients
  

Pasta
  • 400 g spaghetti or linguine
  • 4 liters water for boiling
  • 40 g fine sea salt for pasta water
Puttanesca Sauce
  • 60 ml extra virgin olive oil about 4 tbsp
  • 8 fillets oil-packed anchovy fillets from one 50 g tin
  • 4 cloves garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 0.5 tsp dried red pepper flakes or 1 tsp Calabrian chili paste
  • 800 g canned whole San Marzano tomatoes two 400 g tins, crushed by hand
  • 120 g Kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped about 3/4 cup
  • 2 tbsp capers, rinsed if salt-packed
  • 20 g fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped optional, for serving

Method
 

Cook the sauce
  1. Pour the olive oil into a large skillet and set over medium-low heat. Add the anchovy fillets and stir continuously for 2 to 3 minutes until they completely dissolve into the oil, leaving no visible pieces.
  2. Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, until the garlic is pale and fragrant but not colored.
  3. Add the hand-crushed tomatoes and all their juices. Stir to combine, raise heat to medium, and bring to a gentle simmer.
  4. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces slightly and the oil separates at the edges.
  5. Add the olives and capers. Stir, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for a further 8 to 10 minutes until the sauce is thick and the tomatoes have broken down fully.
Cook the pasta and finish
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 40 g of salt, then the spaghetti. Cook according to package instructions until al dente, usually 8 to 9 minutes.
  2. Reserve 120 ml of pasta cooking water before draining. Drain the spaghetti through a colander.
  3. Transfer the drained spaghetti directly into the sauce pan. Toss over medium heat for 60 to 90 seconds, adding a splash of pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce and help it cling.
  4. Plate immediately. Drizzle with a little raw olive oil and scatter chopped parsley over the top if using. Serve without cheese.

Notes

The sauce will taste aggressively salty before the pasta is added, which is normal. Tossing the hot spaghetti into the sauce for a full 90 seconds over heat, rather than just mixing in a bowl, is what brings the dish together.