TABELIA

AUTHENTIC RECIPE

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
Difficulty★★☆☆☆ Prep10 min Cook20 min servings2

A Neapolitan pasta classic layering the powerful savor of tomatoes, olives, capers and anchovies. Quick to prepare, with enormous impact.

Recipe developed and reviewed by the Tabelia Editorial TeamUpdated
100/ 100

AUTHENTICITY SCORE

Authenticity Score

This is the standard recipe, exactly as it’s made where it comes from — the highest Authenticity Score possible. Substituting ingredients changes this score; the app shows exactly how, ingredient by ingredient.

Ingredients (2 servings)

  • Spaghetti200 g
  • Canned peeled tomatoes400 g
  • Pitted black olives80 g
  • Salt-cured capersRinse off the salt with water.30 g
  • Anchovies in oil4 fillets
  • GarlicThinly sliced2 cloves
  • Chili pepperBreak in half and remove seeds; leave them for more heat.1 piece
  • Extra virgin olive oil60 ml
  • Flat-leaf parsleyCoarsely chopped1 bunch

Method

15 min

Prepare aromatics and ingredients

  • 1 Thinly slice the garlic.
  • 2 Break the chili in half and remove seeds, or keep them for extra heat.
  • 3 Briefly rinse the salt from the capers.
  • 4 Halve the olives.
23 min

Infuse oil with garlic and anchovies

  • 1 Put 60 ml olive oil and sliced garlic in a frying pan over low heat.
  • 2 Once garlic colors lightly, after about 2 minutes, add chili and anchovies.
  • 3 Cook, breaking the anchovies with a wooden spoon; continue when they disappear into the oil after about 1 minute.
32 min

Add and cook the tomatoes

  • 1 Add whole tomatoes, crushing them by hand.
  • 2 Raise to medium heat and cook for about 2 minutes to evaporate some moisture.
412 min

Reduce the sauce and boil water

  • 1 MeanwhileWhile reducing the sauce, start bringing a large pot of water to a boil, with 10 g salt per 1 L.
  • 2 Add olives and capers and reduce over medium heat for 10–12 minutes.

Ready when

Continue when the sauce thickens.

512 min

Boil and coat the pasta

  • 1 Add spaghetti to the prepared boiling salted water and cook al dente, 1 minute less than the package time.
  • 2 Reserve 100 ml cooking water.
  • 3 Add spaghetti to the sauce and toss over medium heat for 1–2 minutes.
  • 4 If the sauce does not cling readily, adjust with 1–2 tbsp cooking water.
61 min

Serve with parsley

  • 1 Plate, coarsely chop the parsley and scatter over.
A view of Napoli, Campania
Napoli, CampaniaItaly Photo: Armando Mancini · CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized; display cropped)

About this dish

Several theories explain the sensational name puttanesca, meaning prostitute-style: women in Naples' entertainment district making it quickly, strong aromas drawing customers, or simply slang for something careless. Whatever its source, the name amply expresses the dish's personality.

Its ingredients all keep well: canned tomatoes, salt-cured capers, olives and anchovies. Born in 20th-century Naples as something to cook even with an empty refrigerator, it spread nationally in the 1960s and 1970s.

Anchovies are heated first in olive oil with garlic, dissolving into a savory base. Their shape disappears, but their flavor spreads throughout the sauce.

Chef Authen

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