Pasta Puttanesca
Are you looking for a simple and delicious (nearly) meatless meal, ready for the table in under 30 minutes? Well, have I got a light and lovely pasta for you! Pasta Puttanesca…stamp your ticket to a speedy dinner.
I’ve been making Puttanesca for a while now when I’m looking for something super simple and super quick. The literal translation for Spaghetti alla puttanesca is “in the style of a whore (or prostitute).” I confess, this makes me giggle every single time I make this quickie dish. Erhmm…
Anyway, it’s a tomato based sauce that has olives, capers, onion, garlic, oregano, crushed red pepper and anchovies. Okay, yes. I said anchovies. Honestly, do not be afraid of them…when cooked in this dish, they just melt away to nothing but salty deliciousness. Put. in. the. anchovies!
Being an olive fan, I use both green and ripe black olives in my sauce. I also add a bit of wine and balsamic vinegar; the addition of those two things really adds a lot to the sauce. I’ve seen Puttanesca made with only diced tomatoes (fresh are best, but canned work well) but I add a bit of tomato sauce so the spaghetti is covered with a nice tinge of red.
It’s not an easy thing for me to pass off a (nearly) meatless meal to Mr. Saucy, but this one wins him over every time. It’s not only fast, it’s delicious. I hope you’ll try it.
P~
- 8 ounces angel hair pasta, cooked, drained
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ small onion (about ½ cup), diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- ⅓ cup dry red wine
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves (or 1 Tbs fresh)
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 ounce anchovy fillets (half of a 2 ounce tin), drained of oil, chopped
- ¼ cup green olives, sliced
- ¼ cup ripe black olives, sliced
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 3-4 fresh basil leaves, cut in chiffonade fashion
- In a medium-sized sauce pan, put salted water on to boil.
- In a large nonstick skillet, over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, onion and garlic.
- Saute about 2 minutes.
- Lower the heat to medium and add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, red wine, balsamic vinegar, oregano, red pepper flakes and anchovy.
- Simmer for about 9 minutes, or until the sauce is slightly thickened.
- Add the green and black olives and capers.
- Cook and drain the pasta...most angel hair pasta cooks in about 4 minutes.
- Toss the drained pasta in the sauce, mixing well, with tongs or a large pasta fork.
- Sprinkle with fresh basil (parsley works nicely too).
- Serve.
The Puttanesca Sauce simmering…
Pasta Puttanesca
