Spaghetti alla puttanesca

This classic pasta dish represents the best of the best of Italian cuisine. Spaghetti alla puttanesca is made from cupboard essentials, and makes a flavourful tomato based pasta sauce.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• How to make spaghetti a la puttanesca
• Puttanesca without anchovies
• Storage and freezing
• Tips and substitutions
• Serving suggestion
• Why is it called puttanesca
• More pasta dishes
• Recipe

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Ingredients

• Spaghetti – or other types of pasta (linguini or tagliatelle work well)
• Black olives
• Capers
• Anchovies – can be omitted but is highly recommended
• Garlic
• Canned diced tomatoes

How to make spaghetti a la puttanesca

Start by finely chopping the anchovies and garlic, as well as slicing the olives. Warm the olive oil in a small pot on medium to high heat, then add the capers, anchovies and garlic. Allow these to saute for a minute.

Then, add the diced tomatoes, olives and sugar to the pot. Bring this to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer and leave it to cook for about 15 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced and the sauce is thick.

Meanwhile, boil spaghetti following the package instructions. Drain off the water. Combine the pasta and sauce before adding to a pasta bowl to serve.

Puttanesca without anchovies

Traditional spaghetti alla puttanesca is made using small pieces of anchovies. This doesn’t mean that the pasta sauce tastes particularly fishy; it’s more added to bring a salty umami flavour to the otherwise bland sauce.

You can of course make this dish completely without anchovies as well. Simply omit them, and follow the other instructions as listed. You might want to add a pinch of salt to the sauce to make up for the lack of anchovies.

Storage and freezing

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can freeze spaghetti alla puttanesca up to 3 months. Thaw the pasta dish in the fridge overnight, then reheat it in a saucepan or microwave before serving.

Tips and substitutions

• Not a fan of anchovies? – No problem, you can omit the anchovies. As they give the sauce a salty flavour, I recommend adding some salt in their place.
• The spaghetti should be cooked al dente. This means that we cook it until it’s soft, but still has a bit of bite in it. The last thing we want is mushy pasta!
• If you don’t have canned chopped tomatoes available, you can use tomato passata instead.
• Allowing the sauce to cook for a while is key. This allows the flavours to develop, and is the difference between a bland sauce and total pasta deliciousness.
• Make this dish vegan by leaving out the anchovies.
• The sugar is added to combat the tang from the diced tomatoes. If your tomatoes are particularly acidic, you might want to add more sugar to taste.

Serving suggestion

Spaghetti alla puttanesca is usually served as a main course for lunch or dinner. It’s typically enjoyed on its own, or with a simple side dish. Try serving it with crusty bread or a simple green side salad.

Why is it called puttanesca

This is an old, traditional Italian recipe. The name “puttanesca” is derived from the Italian word for prostitute. The story goes that a group of prostitutes visited a restaurant, asking for food near closing time. The chef, who had no more food left for the day, made a basic pasta sauce based on Italian cupboard essentials; anchovies, olives, capers and tomatoes. Hence, “pasta for the prostitutes”!

The dish has grown in popularity, and is now served in many Italian restaurants world wide. Luckily, we don’t have to go to Italy to eat great pasta. This recipe is easy enough to make at home!

More pasta dishes

• Moroccan sausage pasta with chorizo
• Salmon and creme fraiche pasta
• Minced beef pasta bake

Recipe