Puttanesca Pasta – A spicy & savory treat.

Puttanesca pasta sauce, or whores sauce. Yes that is exactly what it translates to, but before we get to that…….

For anyone looking for a bit of cooking fun Wednesday’s at 6:25 pm PST I will be doing a live cooking class on Instagram @pastaboypeter This week I’ll be teaching this Puttanesca Recipe. Join me! Last week, with the company matching, $100 was raised for the Vancouver Sun Kids Fund. They are feeding Children from a 129 Schools in the Province and 100% of the proceeds goes to food. Vancouver Sun’s Childrens Fund. Now back to Puttanesca pasta (Scroll down for recipe.)

Yes whores pasts is the literal translation, but it more than likely comes from the slang of Italy. It probably means “just make us whatever crap” you have in the pantry, sauce. It is one of my favorite dishes, is quick and damn tasty! Check out Italian food and wine writer, plus historian, Jeremy Parzen where I learned the full history of the dish.

My Cousins are probably making this right now in Rome, where thankfully, they are all well. I can’t wait to visit them again and cook alongside them. I hope you and your loved ones are all safe. I have not found this time easy but I do realize how blessed I am.

Stay well everyone and all my love.

Pasta Boy

Puttanesca Pasta Recipe

As with any recipe always use safe cooking procedures, & food safe practices. Health Canada is a great site for all food safe guidelines.

Serves 4 people – In this Roman version anchovies are added though I’ve read in the original recipe from Naples area they does not. Parsley is my addition.

Ingredients:

• 450 grams/16 ounces of Spaghetti or Penne – Use pasta marked Bronze Extruded if you can find it
• 1 large can of whole peeled, crushed or diced tomatoes. I like Plum or San Marzano tomatoes. You can also use a jar of tomato puree, Passata, but your sauce will need to be cooked down a bit longer to thicken
• 3 cloves of finely sliced garlic
• 1/2 a cup of finely chopped Italian parsley (Curly is fine as well)
• 1 tin of anchovies in olive oil, or 10 salted anchovies rinsed (I like anchovies, but you can always add less of an ingredient to suit your taste)
• 2 tbsp of capers rough chopped (Rinse to reduce Salt)
• 3/4 cup of pitted olives roughly chopped or sliced (Rinse to reduce Salt)
• 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil. 5 tbsp if you are not using anchovies in olive oil.
• Peperoncini (Red Chilli Flakes) to taste. I usually add a couple of heavy pinches for a little heat.

Sauce:

• Add olive oil to a frying pan and set to a medium heat
• Add the sliced garlic, chilli flakes, & anchovies, to the frying pan and sauté for 5 minutes making sure the garlic does not burn. Stir the sauce occasionally.
• Add the capers and the olives & sauté for 2 min
• Add half the parsley & sauté for 1 min
• Cook until the anchovies have started to break down and disolve. If they have not broken down mash them up.
• Add  the tomato
• Turn the frying pan up to a medium high heat
• When the sauce has begun to boil (usually within 3 minutes) Turn the heat back down to medium and continue to simmer
• This is when I put the pasta in.

Pasta:

• Start with at least 4 litres of unsalted water boiling in a large pot. When cooking pasta for Puttanesca you add no salt to the water because it is a salty dish. Start it before starting the sauce so you are ready to put the pasta in when the sauce is almost done.
• When the water has reached a rolling boil it is ready for pasta.
• Add the pasta to the boiling water.
• Follow Directions for cooking on the bag. Remember to stir occasionally.

Finishing touches:

• Bringing pasta and sauce together!
• Check your sauce & when it has a good aroma & has thickened, it is ready.
• Add the rest of the parsley.
• Add a quarter of a ladle of the pasta water to the sauce and stir it in
• Check your pasta at 2 minutes before the full cooking time stated on the Package. Taste the pasta, carefully. The pasta should be nearly ready (it should be slightly harder than Al Dente)
• Save & set aside another quarter ladle of pasta water
• Strain the pasta well, and add it to the sauce. Toss or stir the pasta in the sauce for the next 1-1.5 minutes.
• After the 1-1.5 minutes have passed, taste the pasta to make sure it is Al Dente and if not add the saved pasta water and cook another 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• Adjust seasoning to your tastes.
• Serve without cheese. Trust me it is savoury enough!

That’s it! An easy puttanesca past recipe that is tasty & healthy peasant cooking in 15 to 20 minutes. If you like this one please share, like and comment then check out another recipe.

Now go and always #EatwiththoseyouLove TM

Peter

Pasta Boy Peter – Cooking Classes Vancouver

Puttanesca Pasta recipe Blog – Copyright Peter Ciuffa of Pasta Boy Peter Inc. 2020