Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
Puttanesca Spaghetti
A bold Neapolitan pasta with tomatoes, olives, capers, anchovies, garlic, and chile, ready in about half an hour.
Spaghetti alla puttanesca is one of the great pantry pastas: quick, intense, and built from ingredients that keep well. The sauce comes together while the spaghetti boils, so the finished dish feels lively rather than long-simmered.
Anchovies melt into the olive oil with garlic and chile, giving the sauce savory depth without making it taste fishy. Capers and black olives bring salt and snap, while crushed tomatoes give everything enough body to cling to the noodles.
The key is to season carefully as you go. The olives, capers, anchovies, and pasta water all carry salt, so taste the sauce near the end before adding more. A short finish in the skillet helps the spaghetti absorb the sauce instead of simply wearing it.
Serve it hot with parsley and a little extra olive oil. It does not need cheese, though a bowl of crisp green salad alongside makes the meal feel complete.
Nutrition (per serving)
Directions
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1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt it lightly, add the spaghetti, and cook until 1 minute shy of al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
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2
While the pasta cooks, warm the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 to 60 seconds, stirring, until fragrant but not browned.
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3
Stir in the anchovies and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 1 minute, pressing the anchovies into the oil until they mostly dissolve.
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4
Add the crushed tomatoes, olives, capers, and oregano. Bring to a brisk simmer, then reduce the heat and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
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5
Taste the sauce and season with black pepper and only as much salt as needed. The capers, olives, and anchovies may already make it salty enough.
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6
Add the drained spaghetti to the skillet and toss well. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, adding reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time, until the sauce glosses and coats the noodles.
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7
Remove from the heat and fold in most of the parsley. Let the pasta stand for 1 minute so the sauce settles into the strands.
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8
Serve hot, topped with the remaining parsley and a small drizzle of olive oil if desired.
Ingredients
- Spaghetti:12 oz
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil:3 tbsp
- Garlic Cloves, thinly sliced:4
- Anchovy Fillets, finely chopped:4
- Red Pepper Flakes:1/2 tsp
- Crushed Tomatoes:28 oz
- Kalamata or Gaeta Olives, pitted and roughly chopped:1/2 cup
- Capers, drained:2 tbsp
- Dried Oregano:1/2 tsp
- Kosher Salt:to taste
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper:to taste
- Fresh Parsley, chopped:1/4 cup
Tips & Notes
- Use oil-packed anchovies for the smoothest flavor; they should melt into the sauce.
- Rinse very salty capers briefly if they taste harsh straight from the jar.
- If using whole canned tomatoes, crush them by hand before adding them to the skillet.
- Cook the spaghetti just under al dente because it finishes in the sauce.
