A quick, easy and super tasty Italian tomato based sauce with olives and capers!
Puttanesca sauce is a classic Italian pasta sauce that’s typically made with tomatoes, olive oil, olives, chili peppers, capers, and garlic, with anchovies also being a common ingredient! The recipe is super simple, starting with cooking the garlic, chili pepper flakes and anchovies in the olive oil before adding the tomatoes, olives and capers and simmering until the sauce thickens. This is a salty dish with the olives and capers and the garlic brings and amazing aroma. Puttanesca sauce is often served with spaghetti or other long noodle and it takes less time to make the sauce than it takes to cook the pasta so it’s a super quick and easy meal!
Puttanesca Sauce
Prep Time:5 minutes Cook Time:15 minutes Total Time:20 minutes Servings: 4
A quick, easy and super tasty Italian tomato based sauce with olives and capers!
ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon anchovy paste (or chopped anchovy filets) (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (or to taste)
- 1 (28 ounce) can tomatoes
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
directions
- Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat, add the garlic, anchovies and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
- Add the tomatoes, olives and capers, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until it thickens a bit, about 5-7 minutes, breaking the tomatoes apart with a wooden spoon as it simmers.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, mix in the parsley and enjoy!
Note: Omit anchovies for vegetarian.
Option: Use your favourite olives.
Option: Add 1 small onion, diced.
Option: Add 1/2 teaspoon oregano.
Option: Add 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest.
Option: Garnish with pecorino romano (or parmesan) cheese!
Tip: Cook the pasta as the sauce cooks.
