Pasta Puttanesca
This dish is named for the 'ladies of the night' in Italy. One of the theories on its origin is that it was a quick, easy, tasty meal the ladies could prepare and eat between customers.
Serves 2-3
Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 fresh red chilli, de-seeded and chopped
2 level tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
4 canned anchovies, chopped
100g pitted black olives, chopped
25g capers, drained
450g can tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato purée
salt and black pepper
300g dried spaghetti
Method
Heat the oil in a pan with the garlic and cook gently for 1 minute
Add the chilli, parsley and anchovies and cook for 2 minutes until the anchovies start to melt
Then add the capers, tomato puree and tomatoes
Season with black pepper and salt if required (salt may not be needed as some of the ingredients are already quite salty)
Stir and turn the heat to low and let the sauce simmer very gently for 10 minutes
While the sauce is simmering put the spaghetti into a large pan of boiling water. Stir well to prevent it sticking together, and cook for 8-10 minutes (or according to the packet instructions)
Drain the spaghetti and add the sauce to it
Mix the pasta and the sauce together and serve immediately
Note: Vegetarians can omit the anchovies or replace them with another tablespoon of capers.
Keywords: Pasta, spaghetti, anchovies, olives, capers, chilli, tomatoes, Italian.
