Puttanesca, or 'slutty' pasta if we're getting technical (google it to find out why) is one of those things that can be thrown together with a few pantry staples on a night when you really just don't feel like cooking. Don't be put off by the anchovies, they melt into the sauce and you don't even know they are there except that they take your pasta sauce to the next level.
Serves 2
Ingredients
1/4 cup black olives, roughly chopped (pits removed)
1/4 cup capers, roughly chopped or left whole if using baby capers
2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
4-6 anchovy fillets, depending on your fondness for the hairy fish
1 tabs olive oil
1 tin chopped tomatoes
100g spaghetti
Salt
Pepper
Fresh basil to taste
Parmesan to taste
Method
First things first, fill a large saucepan with water, add a decent pinch of salt, put it over high heat and bring to the boil. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the packet instructions until al dente.
As soon as the pasta is on, put a medium sized frypan over medium heat and add the olive oil.
When hot, add the garlic and anchovies and cook for 2-3 minutes until the garlic is golden and the anchovies mostly melted.
Add the capers and olives and saute for a couple of minutes.
Stir in the chopped tomatoes and leave to simmer gently (i.e. turn the heat down to low) until the pasta is cooked.
Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper (you probably won't need much salt due to the saltiness of the olives, anchovies and capers).
Once the pasta is cooked, use tongs to transfer it across to the frypan with the sauce and toss to coat (don't worry about getting some pasta water in there, it helps the sauce to coat the pasta).
Divide the pasta up into portions and serve with fresh basil and parmesan sprinkled on top
Now pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy!
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