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A pot of spaghetti, reminiscent of a Pasta Puttanesca recipe, with tomatoes and herbs sits invitingly on a green and red checkered cloth.

Pasta alla Puttanesca

Pasta Puttanesca is a classic Italian quick sauce. Legend has it that certain working girls (putta in Italian) needed a quick meal between customers. This quick sauce was their solution. Thus the name, which literally means pasta in the manner of the, well, you know. Dinner will be ready in about 20 minutes.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4 People
Calories 647 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb spaghetti, linguine or similar long thin pasta
  • 1 tin anchovies
  • 4 tbsp High-quality extra virgin olive oil
  • 28 ounces tomatoes, whole peeled is traditional. I prefer to work with diced or crushed
  • 4-6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed or minced, depending on your preference
  • 3 tbsp capers, drained
  • 4-5 leaves fresh basil, substitute 1 tbsp dried if need be
  • 1 tsp oregano and/or parsley
  • 1/4 cup pitted and quartered olives, black or kalamata
  • 1 tsp salt, to taste
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, to taste
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Begin to boil water for the pasta.
  • In a deep skillet, heat olive oil. Once it is shimmering add anchovies and saute until they are dissolved.
  • Add the capers and garlic and saute until slightly the garlic browned.
  • Add tomatoes, basil, oregano/parsley and olives. Simmer on low.
  • Add pasta to boiling water. Cook until limp, but very al dente.
  • Remove al dente pasta from water and transfer it to the sauce pan for finishing. Preserve 1/4 cup of pasta water.
  • Add pasta water to sauce pan if the sauce looks too thick or there is not enough liquid to finish the pasta. If the sauce is too thin, add a tsp of tomato paste.
  • Salt and pepper to taste.
  • Stir until the pasta is finished.
  • Serve right from pan.

Nutrition

Calories: 647kcalCarbohydrates: 101gProtein: 21gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 1167mgPotassium: 921mgFiber: 8gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 586IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 135mgIron: 5mg

Disclaimer

Please note that nutrient values, if included with the recipe, are estimates only. Variations can occur due to product availability/substitution and manner of food preparation. Nutrition may vary based on methods of origin, preparation, freshness of ingredients, and other factors.

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