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Spaghetti Puttanesca
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We think of puttanesca as a saucy dish built on anchovies. But in Naples, where it originates, two varieties of briny olives and pungent capers, not anchovies, give the dish bold savoriness that balances the sweetness of the tomatoes. We got a lesson in how to make it from Antonella Scala, who hosted pop-up dinners in her rooftop kitchen on the outskirts of modern Pompeii. We call for a generous amount of capers, which often are sold in small bottles or jars. When shopping, you will need to buy two 4-ounce bottles to get the ½ cup drained capers needed for this recipe. So that the spaghetti is extra-flavorful and each noodle is seasoned throughout, we boil it in water for just 5 minutes—it will be underdone at the center—then finish cooking it directly in the sauce.
4
Servings
Tip
Don't use more than 2 quarts of water to boil the pasta; the idea is to concentrate the starches in the cooking water, which is later used to thicken the sauce.
25 minutes
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
12 ounces spaghetti
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
1/2 cup pitted green olives, roughly chopped
1/2 cup (two 4-ounce bottles) drained capers, rinsed, patted dry and chopped
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, drained, 1 cup juices reserved, tomatoes crushed by hand into small pieces
1/2 cup lightly packed fresh basil, chopped
1 ounce Parmesan or pecorino romano cheese, grated (½ cup), plus more to serve
Ingredients
-
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
-
12
ounces spaghetti
-
2
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
-
3
medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
-
1
teaspoon red pepper flakes
-
½
cup pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
-
½
cup pitted green olives, roughly chopped
-
½
cup (two 4-ounce bottles) drained capers, rinsed, patted dry and chopped
-
1
28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, drained, 1 cup juices reserved, tomatoes crushed by hand into small pieces
-
½
cup lightly packed fresh basil, chopped
-
1
ounce Parmesan or pecorino romano cheese, grated (½ cup), plus more to serve
Directions
-
01In a large pot, bring 2 quarts water to a boil. Add ½ tablespoon salt and the spaghetti, then cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Reserve 2 cups of cooking water, then drain and set aside.
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02In a 12-inch skillet over medium, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and garlic cloves, then cook, stirring often, until the garlic is light golden brown, about 1 minute. Off heat, remove and discard the garlic. Add the pepper flakes, both types of olives and the capers, then cook over medium-high, stirring, until the capers begin to brown, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes.
-
03Add the reserved tomato juice and 1 cup of the reserved cooking water; bring to a simmer. Add the pasta and toss to coat. Cover and cook, tossing occasionally, until the pasta is al dente and the sauce clings lightly to the noodles; add more cooking water if needed.
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04Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 3 minutes. Stir in the basil, cheese and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Taste and season with salt and black pepper. Serve topped with additional cheese.
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Reviews
October 1, 2022
Vibrant pasta dish.
An exciting and easy pasta dish. We like the combination of olives and the generous amount of capers.
Three cheers for cooking with what’s in the pantry. I made this with one 4 oz. jar of capers for 16 oz. of pasta (I increased the other ingredients by 25%; adding a can of diced tomatoes to supplement the 28 oz. can of tomatoes worked well). That was plenty of capers per serving — it comes out to about 2 tsp of drained capers per each of the five servings I wound up with. I also used my pantry items and the bits of olives lurking in the fridge — some ripe, some green, the last of the kalamata. I will make it again with the full-on quantity of kalamatas, but don't be afraid to use what you have of other kinds. I minced up a few of the the soft, mellow, oil-cooked smashed garlic cloves and added them back into the sauce, too, since I like garlic. This is easy and delicious, with a wonderful texture to the pasta (I used bucatini) finished in the sauce.
Wow, this is a 10! Made this last evening, inspired by the Milk Street demo. We loved the texture, flavor and just the right amount of heat. I used Spaghetti with Protein, followed the directions to a T, and will definitely make it again for a satisfying pasta dinner. Served with our homemade Caesar Salad and crusty bread, with a nice glass of Zinfandel.
We’ve tried this a few times now and it’s good, and we didn’t have fresh basil so just omitted it. I love a recipe I can make with mostly pantry items on hand. I’m wondering if I could make this with whole-wheat spaghetti? How would I adjust the cooking time?
Hi Kristen -
We haven't tested this with whole wheat pasta, but it's certainly worth a try! We would focus more on the visual clues in the recipe than the cooking times to ensure the whole wheat pasta doesn't get overcooked. Overcooked whole wheat pasta can turn mushy *very* quickly. Good luck!
Best,
The Milk Street Team
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Your First Issue
I love this recipe! It's the answer to 25 years of searching for a good Puttanesca recipe. QQ as to the pasta: Is this workable with homemade pasta? If I were to use home-made spaghetti, would cooking the pasta for just a minute or so provide enough starch in the cooking water?