This pasta puttanesca is spaghetti tossed in a homemade tomato sauce that is flavored with olives, capers and herbs. A quick and easy dinner option that tastes like it came straight from your local Italian restaurant!
1/4teaspooncrushed red pepper flakesor more to taste
28ounce canSan Marzano whole tomatoesdrained
salt and pepper to taste
1/2cupkalamata olivespitted and halved
3tablespoonscapers
2tablespoonschopped fresh parsley
Instructions
Cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions.
Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the anchovy paste, garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan.
Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Coarsely chop the tomatoes then add them to the pan. Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper to taste.
Stir to combine the tomatoes and olive oil mixture. Bring to a simmer.
Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes have broken down and formed a sauce.
Stir in the olives and capers.
Drain the pasta and toss with the tomato sauce. Sprinkle with parsley, then serve.
Video
Notes
Look for cans of San Marzano tomatoes for this recipe. This variety of tomato is full of flavor and doesn’t contain many seeds, which makes it perfect for sauce making.
You can use any type of black olive that you like. I typically use Kalamata olives, but a nice Gaeta or Nicoise would also work well. Just be sure to remove the pits before you add the olives to the sauce.
Salt packed capers have the best flavor and texture, just give them a quick rinse before putting them in the sauce.