Pasta Puttanesca
Servings: 5 people
- 1 pound (450 grams) spaghetti (+ 1 gallon of water and 2 tbsp of salt to cook it)
- 3 tablespoons (45 grams) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¾ cup (100 grams) black olives pitted (Gaeta, Kalamata, or other)
- 2 tablespoons (20 grams) capers
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or more to taste
- 28 ounces (1 large can) (800 grams) whole peeled tomatoes best if San Marzano
- 1 handful flat-leaf parsley
- salt + black pepper taste the sauce and add if necessary
MAKE THE SAUCE
- In a large skillet, warm up the olive oil on medium heat. Add pitted olives cut in half lengthwise, rinsed capers, red pepper flakes, and grated garlic.
- Fry gently for 1 to 2 minutes, making sure the garlic doesn't burn.
- Add in the whole canned peeled tomatoes, stir, crush the tomatoes with a fork, and simmer the puttanesca sauce on medium-low heat for 15 minutes.
- Taste and adjust for salt and black pepper if necessary. While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta.
COOK THE PASTA
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, and toss in the pasta.Cook the pasta very al dente; that is 3 minutes less than instructed on the package.Reserve 2 cups of pasta cooking water, drain the pasta and add it to the sauce.
- Add 1 cup of reserve pasta water and a handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley, and finish cooking the pasta on medium-high heat, tossing it for about 2 minutes or until creamy and al dente.
- Serve the pasta with a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.
Nutrition information is an estimate for one serving of pasta puttanesca out of five servings.
TIPS
To cook 1 pound (450 grams) of pasta, you'll need about 1 gallon (16 cups or 4 liters) of water and 2 tablespoons (30 grams) of salt.
Undercooking the pasta and then finishing it in the pan makes the sauce creamier because the pasta releases its starch as it finishes cooking.
The reserved pasta water contains starch, so we add it to the sauce.
STORAGE:
Refrigerator: store leftover pasta puttanesca in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes with a tablespoon or two of reserve pasta water sprinkled on top.
Alternatively, reheat on a pan with a drizzle of olive oil and a dash of water.
Freezer: this recipe is not suitable for freezing.
