Description
Olives alla Puttanesca is a bold, briny Italian pasta dish packed with Mediterranean flavors. Featuring garlic, anchovies, capers, olives, chili, tomatoes, and fresh parsley, this simple yet flavorful dish is ready in just 20 minutes.
Ingredients
12 oz (340 g) spaghetti (or linguine/penne)
3–4 cloves garlic, crushed
4–7 anchovy fillets, chopped
½–1 tsp crushed red chili flakes
2–3 tbsp capers, rinsed
½ cup pitted black olives (Gaeta or Kalamata), halved or chopped
14 oz (400 g) chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)
3–4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve some pasta water before draining.
- Sauté Aromatics: While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add garlic, anchovies, and chili flakes. Sauté for about 2 minutes, or until the anchovies melt and the garlic becomes fragrant.
- Add Capers: Stir in the capers and cook for another 1–3 minutes until sizzling.
- Simmer the Sauce: Add the chopped tomatoes and simmer for 5–15 minutes until the sauce thickens to your liking.
- Add Olives: Mix in the olives and cook for an additional 2–5 minutes, until everything is heated through.
- Toss Pasta: Toss the drained pasta into the sauce, adding pasta water as needed to help coat the pasta evenly.
- Season and Finish: Season with salt and pepper to taste, then remove from heat and stir in fresh parsley before serving.
Notes
For a vegetarian version, omit the anchovies and increase the capers and garlic for extra flavor.
Use Gaeta olives for a traditional flavor, but Kalamata olives work well too.
Add a squeeze of lemon juice or some zest for an extra fresh kick.
For extra heat, increase the crushed red chili flakes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 620mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 9g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
