Description
A bold, briny, and comforting pasta dish made with pantry staples like olives, capers, garlic, and tomatoes. Puttanesca Spaghetti is the perfect quick weeknight dinner that’s packed with flavor and comes together in just 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 oz spaghetti
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 anchovy fillets
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup black olives, pitted and chopped
- 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add olive oil, then stir in the garlic and anchovy fillets. Cook gently until garlic softens and anchovies dissolve.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti until just shy of al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and drain.
- To the skillet, add red pepper flakes, canned tomatoes, olives, and capers. Simmer for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the drained pasta to the sauce, tossing to coat. Add pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
- Season with salt and black pepper. Stir in chopped parsley.
- Plate and serve warm.
Notes
- Do not skip anchovies—they add deep flavor and won’t make the dish taste fishy.
- Use good quality canned tomatoes for the best taste.
- Reserve pasta water to help the sauce cling better.
- This dish tastes even better the next day.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 490
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 950mg
- Fat: 17g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 67g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 13g
- Cholesterol: 5mg
Keywords: Puttanesca, Spaghetti alla Puttanesca, Italian pasta, pantry pasta, easy weeknight dinner, vegetarian pasta