Spaghetti alla puttanesca is one of those Italian dish that are so easy and quick to throw together. The rich tomato sauce is flavoured with olives, capers and garlic.

This popular recipe has definitely a weird name, but it’s also one of the most easier, and delicious pasta recipes out there. Serve with a glass of cold white wine and…buon appetito!

Puttanesca origin

The curious name of this dish has been studied a lot to know where it comes from, several journalists still dispute the true origin of the recipe’s name, but even today it is not known exactly where it comes from.

The most popular story says that the ‘courtesans’ in the city (Naples) used to prepare this quick sauce for their clients. So it is not very difficult to deduce the particular name of this traditional dish.

A man tossing spaghetti with vegan puttanesca sauce.
Spaghetti alla puttanesca being tossed on a pan.

Ingredients notes to take in mind

  • The original puttanesca sauce is prepared with three main ingredients: Tomatoes, olives and capers. From that base, other versions can be made and are also accepted and popular.
  • The original recipe always use the Gaeta olives but is understandable that sometimes is not possible to find that type of olives, so use any you have available.
  • For the tomato sauce it is always better to use the juiciest and most ripe type found at the moment. You can also use canned tomato sauce or even better, homemade San Marzano tomato sauce!
  • The use of oregano or parsley is a popular and accepted variant too nowadays.
  • Although the original Neapolitan recipe is prepared only with the mentioned ingredients, in other regions such as Lazio the version with anchovies has become popular and is undoubtedly the best-known recipe abroad. I prefer the vegan puttanesca recipe and that is the one that I’m sharing with you today.
Ingredients displayed for puttanesca sauce.

Spaghetti alla puttanesca easy recipe

  • Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, just as the water starts boiling, add the tomatoes and turn off the heat, let them sit for 15-20 minutes. Sitting the tomatoes in hot water helps to peel them easily.
  • Carefully peel the tomatoes, cut them in half and discard the seeds, then chop them finely. Place them on a plate along with the juices released.

*If you using canned tomatoes, skip this step.

Tomatoes boiled, peeled and cut into pieces on a cutting board.
  • Rinse the capers to remove the excess of salt and set aside.
  • Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant. Discard the garlic and add tomatoes.
  • Cook for about 2 minutes stirring constantly. Add capers, olives and a pinch of salt. Cover the pan and set the heat to low.
  • Let the sauce cook for 10-15 minutes. If necessary, add a little bit of hot water so that the sauce doesn’t dry out too much.
  • The result should be a thick sauce juicy enough to coat the pasta.
Puttanesca sauce cooking on a pan.
  • Adjust salt to taste and turn off the heat. Add the oregano, mix and set aside.
  • Cook the spaghetti as suggested in the package, drain them very well and add them onto the pan with the sauce.
  • Toss throughly to coat the spaghetti with the vegan puttanesca sauce and serve immediately. If you want, you can add a little chopped fresh parsley.

Make Ahead

You can make this vegan puttanesca sauce ahead and even freeze it. So next time you’ll crave some Italian dish, you can thaw the sauce and make the recipe is just 10-15 minutes!

A close uo on a plate with spaghetti alla puttanesca.

More authentic Italian summer recipes

  • Pasta peperonata – A delicious sauce made with bell peppers, perfect for a summer meal.
  • Spaghetti alla Nerano – Traditional southern recipe made with fried zucchini and cheese.
  • Stracciatella gelato – An easy no-churn Italian ice cream made with only a few ingredients, one of which is chocolate!
  • Italian rice salad – The traditional insalata di riso, there’s no Italian summer complete without it!
  • Mediterranean pasta salad – Loaded with mediterranean flavors, this pasta salad is all you need for your cookouts!

What to do with leftovers

Got some spaghetti alla puttanesca leftovers? You can turn them into a delicious frittata! Follow the video below and see how easy it is.

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Vegan puttanesca recipe

4 servings
This vegan puttanesca sauce is made with a rich tomato sauce, flavored with olives, capers and garlic. Use your favourite type of pasta and you’ll have a nice dinner to enjoy in only few minutes.
prep 10 minutes
cook 10 minutes
total 20 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 12 oz spaghetti
  • 1.75 lb fresh tomatoes
  • 1 cup Gaeta olives (or any other kind of black olives)
  • 3 Tbsp capers
  • 2 ½ Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp dry oregano (or parsley)
  • 1 garlic clove (peeled)
  • salt

Instructions
 

  • Bring abundant water to a boil in a pot, just as the water starts boiling,  add the tomatoes and turn off the heat, let them sit for 15-20 minutes.
  • Carefully peel the tomatoes, cut them in half and discard the seeds, then chop them finely. Put on a plate along with the juices released.
  • Rinse the capers to remove the salt and pit the olives.
  • Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the garlic without skin until browns lightly. Discard the garlic and add the tomatoes.
  • Cook the tomato sauce for 2 minutes. Add the capers, olives and sprinkle a little bit of salt.  Cover the pan and set the heat to low.
  • Let the sauce cook for 10-15 minutes. If necessary, add a little bit of hot water so that the sauce does not dry out too much. The result should be a thick sauce with enough juice to coat the pasta.
  • Adjust salt to taste and turn off the heat. Add the oregano, mix and set aside.
  • Cook the spaghetti as suggested in the package, drain them very well and add them onto the pan with the sauce.
  • Coat well the pasta with sauce and serve immediately.

Notes

You can make this vegan puttanesca sauce ahead and even freeze it. So next time you’ll crave some Italian dish, you can thaw the sauce and make the recipe is just 10-15 minutes!
Nutrition Information
Calories: 480kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 707mg | Potassium: 680mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1794IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 2mg
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Recipe Rating




One Comment

  1. 5 stars
    I must say its a very delicious recipe🤤 and u didn’t wasted time like others in naming the ingredients first🙂