Pasta Putanesca

Pasta puttanesca is a Southern Italian recipe originating in Naples, known for its bold, pantry-based ingredients. It combines tomatoes, anchovies, olives, capers, garlic, and chili flakes with pasta, creating a savory, briny, and slightly spicy sauce. The name reflects its humble origins and association with quick, resourceful cooking.

The technique involves sautéing garlic and anchovies in olive oil until fragrant, then adding tomatoes, capers, and olives to simmer into a robust sauce. Cooked pasta is tossed in the mixture, absorbing its intense flavors. This preparation showcases Naples’ tradition of transforming simple, preserved staples into complex, satisfying flavors.

PastaItalian

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 15 min

Total Time: 20 min

Yield: 2 servings

A plate of pasta putanesca.

Ingredients

  • 8 oz. spaghetti
  • 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed and unpeeled
  • 3 parsley stems
  • 2 anchovies, chopped
  • ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
  • ¼ cup olives, black and/or green, halved
  • 2 Tbsp. capers
  • 2 cups tomatoes (fresh cherry, diced, or sauce)
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped

Instructions

  1. 1.
    Add spaghetti to pot of salted boiling water and follow package directions to cook al dente.
  2. 2.
    With about 5 minutes remaining for the pasta, add olive oil, garlic clove, and parsley stems to a saucier.
  3. 3.
    Sauté the garlic over medium heat until it begins to turn golden and begins to release its aroma, no more than 2 minutes.
  4. 4.
    Remove garlic from the oil. Add the anchovies and red pepper flakes to the oil and stir until the anchovies dissolve, 1-2 minutes.
  5. 5.
    Add olives and capers to the pan and toss.
  6. 6.
    Add tomatoes to the pan and combine. Allow contents to simmer until tomatoes are soft, 2-3 minutes.
  7. 7.
    Add most of the parsley to the sauce, reserving 2 sprinkles to garnish for serving.
  8. 8.
    Transfer spaghetti to the sauce with a ladle of pasta water and finish, stirring and tossing until sauce is emulsified and clings to the pasta.
  9. 9.
    Plate the spaghetti, pour any additional sauce remaining over the top, and garnish with remaining fresh parsley.