Spaghetti alla Puttanesca is the perfect dish to rustle up when you’ve not got much in the cupboards but you’re still after a flavourful dinner.
I was first introduced to this dish when the Baudelaire orphans from Lemony Snickets ‘A Series of Unfortunate events’ were tasked with the job of cooking dinner for the ever ungrateful Count Olaf. If you’ve read the books, you’ll know that the dish didn’t go down very well, but this was one of the earliest memories I have of being absolutely fascinated with food! That and being glued to I Can Cook on CBeebies haha.
Fast forward to now when I’ve been experimenting in the kitchen and have finally come up with the perfect recipe.
This recipe requires anchovies, kalamata olives, capers and then a couple of staples you probably already have at home. Now if you’re anything like my sister you’re probably going to be a little bit hesitant after I’ve just mentioned anchovies. However, I promise you will not be able to taste them in your pasta dish and honestly give them a go with an open mind. The end result will not be fishy! Instead they’ll leave your Spaghetti alla Puttanesca with a lovely and rich umami flavour.
The absolute key to this recipe is frying off the tomato purée, kalamata olives, capers and anchovies with onion and garlic. This is going to be the flavour powerhouse of the whole dish!
Now if you want to make this dish vegan or vegetarian you can omit the anchovies, but you will be missing that salty umami flavour so make sure you season accordingly!
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Video Tutorial
Now time for the recipe….
Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
Ingredients
- 320 g spaghetti
- 5 anchovies
- 100 g kalamata olives
- 1½ tbsp capers
- 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 white onion finely chopped
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp tomato purée
- 1½ tsp red chilli flakes
- 1 tin tomato can
- small bunch of parsley chopped finely
Instructions
- Boil your spaghetti according to the packet instructions. Make sure to reserve about a mug of pasta water.
- Begin by finely chopping the anchovies and using the side of your knife to smush them into a paste. Set aside and then roughly chop your kalamata olives and capers!
- In a large pan, heat up the extra virgin olive oil on a medium heat. Add in the chopped onion, garlic and anchovies. Fry for 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the olives, capers and tomato purée. Fry for a further 3-4 minutes, stirring well throughout.
- Pour in your tin tomatoes and rinse the can out with around 4 tablespoons of water. Add in the chilli flakes and season with salt. Simmer for 10 minutes on a low heat, stirring every so often.
- Add in the cooked spaghetti and a ¼ of the pasta water whilst stirring the sauce and pasta together.
- Garnish with the chopped parsley and that's it!
