Spaghetti with Italian Puttanesca Sauce
Mediterranean Inspired Pasta Dish with Olive Infused Tomato Sauce
Sep 8, 2009
Puttanesca is a traditional Mediterranean inspired, tomato based pasta sauce, which contains ingredients that can be found in the pantry of a well stocked kitchen. Puttanesca is a wonderful comfort food to make anytime, in order to satisfy an Italian pasta craving. Serve puttanesca sauce with spaghetti along with a fresh, green salad and a loaf of crusty garlic bread, for a complete meal.
All About Anchovies
Anchovy fillets melt/disintegrate when they are heated in oil. They add a depth of flavor to recipes, and are not at all fishy, or strange tasting once they meld with the other ingredients in the dish. Anchovy fillets are available either in small cans, or small glass jars. Buy the ones in the glass jar, which are packed in olive oil. The leftover anchovies can be stored in the jar, in the refrigerator.
Ingredients for Puttanesca Sauce
- 1 pound dried spaghetti or pasta
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4-5 whole anchovy fillets - packed in olive oil
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon fresh, minced rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 small onion - diced, for 1 cup total
- 1 small orange or yellow bell pepper - diced
- 1 - 32 ounce can whole, peeled, Italian tomatoes in sauce
- 12 kalamata olives - chopped
- 12 green olive with pimentos - chopped
- 2 tablespoons capers packed in vinegar - drained
- 1/4 cup fresh, minced parsley
Directions for Puttanesca Sauce
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook the pasta or spaghetti according to the package directions. Cook the pasta al dente, so that it still has a bit of texture to it, and is not mushy.
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the puttanesca sauce.
- Place the olive oil in a large stock pot, over medium heat.
- Add the anchovy fillets, and break them up with the back of a spoon, until they have totally melted into the oil.
- Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, rosemary and black pepper, and cook for a minute or two.
- Add the onion and cook until the onions begin to turn translucent.
- Add the bell pepper, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the can of tomatoes to the sauce, and use a large mixing spoon to break them up into pieces. The whole tomatoes can also be chopped into pieces on a cutting board, before being added to the sauce, but this is a messy process.
- Bring the sauce to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium low.
- Stir in the kalamata olives, green olives and capers.
- Continue to simmer the sauce for another 5-10 minutes.
- Turn the heat off, and stir in the parsley.
- Serve immediately over the prepared pasta or spaghetti.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days.
Recipes Tips and Suggestions
1. Although spaghetti is traditionally used along with puttanesca sauce, any pasta shape, such as linguine, shells or penne, can be used.
2. 1 tablespoon garlic paste can be used in place of the garlic cloves.
3. 1 tablespoon anchovy paste can be used in place of the anchovy fillets.
4. 1 teaspoon dried rosemary can be used in place of the fresh rosemary if necessary.
5. The amount of red pepper flakes used in the recipe can be adjusted to make a spicier or milder puttanesca sauce.
6. A vegetarian version of puttanesca sauce can be created by eliminating the anchovies.
7. Although cheese is typically not added to puttanesca sauce, a small amount of Parmesan cheese can be sprinkled on top of individual servings, if desired.
8. For a heartier version of spaghetti with puttanesca sauce, try adding some cooked shrimp, tuna fish or salmon to the dish.
Additional Italian Inspired Recipes
Sauteed cherry tomatoes is a wonderful side dish which is enhanced with fresh herbs. Pasta e fagioli is a traditional Italian pasta and bean soup, which makes a wonderful first course to any Mediterranean inspired meal. The traditional Italian meal article contains recipes for chicken piccata and tiramisu.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
