Description
Saucy Italian Puttanesca brings bold Mediterranean flavors dancing across your plate with tangy olives, capers, and rich tomato sauce. Spicy, quick, and irresistible, you’ll savor this classic pasta dish that delivers intense coastal Italian cuisine in minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 (28-ounces / 800 grams) can whole peeled Italian tomatoes
- 6 anchovy fillets
- 1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 tablespoon capers, drained
Aromatics and Seasonings:
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 basil sprigs
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- Pinch of sugar
Finishing Seasonings:
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it gently ripples.
- Introduce minced garlic, finely chopped anchovies, and crushed red pepper flakes, sautéing until ingredients turn fragrant and develop a light golden hue, approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Incorporate tomato paste, stirring constantly and allowing it to caramelize and intensify flavors for about 60 seconds.
- Pour in crushed tomatoes, sprinkle granulated sugar, and add torn fresh basil leaves, kalamata olives, and briny capers.
- Elevate heat to generate a robust boil, then immediately reduce to a gentle simmer, allowing sauce to slowly concentrate and develop deep flavors for 25-35 minutes.
- Discard wilted basil leaves, then meticulously season with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to enhance the sauce’s complexity.
- Ladle the vibrant, aromatic sauce generously over al dente pasta, ensuring each strand is luxuriously coated with the rich, zesty mixture.
Notes
- Anchovy Tip: Mash anchovies completely to distribute rich, savory flavor evenly throughout the sauce without leaving large fish chunks.
- Garlic Caution: Watch carefully while sautéing to prevent burning, which can create bitter undertones in the sauce.
- Salt Management: Taste before adding extra salt since anchovies and capers already contribute significant saltiness to the dish.
- Texture Enhancement: Let sauce simmer longer for deeper flavor development and slightly thicker consistency, which helps sauce cling better to pasta.
- Prep Time: 0 minutes
- Cook Time: 36 min
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 132 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 530 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8.9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 7 mg