Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca is a classic Neapolitan pasta that uses a handful of staple ingredients and is packed full of flavour.
Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca is such a simple pasta recipe and is packed full of flavour! This pasta dish originated from Naples from a town named Campania which created the vegetarian recipe. There are also many Italian versions, including the popular recipe from Lazio which includes anchovies. This is my recipe for the Neapolitan version which is also vegan.
This is a perfect recipe for when you haven't planned dinner and may have these ingredients in your fridge or pantry.
To level up this pasta, you can top with some Pangrattato (crispy flavored breadcrumbs) for some crunch.
Table of Contents
Video Tutorial
Ingredients to make Pasta Alla Puttanesca
- Pasta, traditionally served with spaghetti but any long pasta will do, like fettuccine or linguine
- Roma Tomatoes provide a richer taste and are perfect for creating a sauce. I use whole canned tomatoes but if you are using fresh roma tomatoes, ensure they are ripe
- Black olives are a key ingredient in this recipe for its added salt. I've used kalamata olives
- Capers provide a tangy and salty flavour, you don't need much of them as a little goes a long way
- Garlic cloves, dice into small pieces to infuse the olive oil at the beginning of the cook
- Parsley, make sure that the parsley is fresh as it brings a pop of colour, it's used mid-way cook and for garnish
- Oregano, this dried herb is a great addition to the overall flavour profile of the sauce
- Red pepper flakes, this is optional if you prefer some spice
How to make Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca
Time needed: 25 minutes
- Make the sauce
On a pan sauté garlic in olive oil until lightly golden. Add capers, olives, and half of the parsley. Then add tomatoes, season with oregano, and let it simmer.
- Cook the pasta
Once pasta is cooked until al dente, add to the pasta sauce with a splash of pasta water.
- Serve it up
Add remaining parsley and let it cook for a few minutes. It's now ready to serve!
Tips for Pasta Puttanesca Recipe
- The olives and the capers bring a salty acidic flavour, so this is one pasta that doesn't require any cheese or additional salt. Not to mention the pasta water is heavily salted as well.
- You can use fresh tomatoes, just make sure they are super ripe as they bring a more rich flavour. This is why I prefer to buy whole canned tomatoes and keep them as back up in the pantry.
Serve with a little more parsley for garnish and enjoy your Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca! When you have a bite of all the ingredients in your mouth at the same time, it’s just delicious!
More Pasta Recipes
- Broccoli Pasta
- Pesto alla Trapanese (Sicilian Pesto)
- Burrata Pasta
- Culurgiones (Sardinian Pasta)
- Penne Alla Vodka
- Mushroom Carbonara
- Baked Feta Pasta
- Baked Feta Pasta with Mushrooms
- How to Make Orecchiette
I love seeing your creations and remakes, so make sure to tag me and send me a photo on Instagram so I can also share the love.
Recipe
Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca
Ingredients
- 360 g spaghetti pasta
- 425 g canned whole roma tomatoes
- 120 g black olives
- 1 ½ tablespoon capers
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 handful chopped parsley
- Sea salt
Garnish
- Chopped parsley
Instructions
- Dice garlic into pieces, not too small as they can burn fast. Sauté in olive oil over a medium heat
- Chop olives into half and roughly chop capers
- Once garlic is lightly golden, add olives, capers and half of the parsley. Sauté for a few minutes.
- Add tomatoes and with a wooden spoon, chop the tomatoes into half to allow them to cook faster. Season with oregano and let it simmer
- In the meantime, start to cook the pasta in heavily salted water
- Once pasta is cooked to al dente, add it straight to the sauce along with a good splash of pasta water. Add remaining parsley and let it finish cooking together in the sauce for a few minutes
- Serve pasta with a sprinkle of chopped parsley for garnish and enjoy!
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