How to Make Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca

See how to make spaghetti alla puttanesca. This classic Italian dish is perfect for busy days because you only need 20 minutes to cook a delicious sauce packed with Mediterranean flavors and used to toss with spaghetti or your favorite pasta.

this recipe

This pasta is a staple at my home, as in many Italian households. This is because is not only delicious but also incredibly easy to make. You only need a few ingredients like fresh or canned tomatoes, olives, cappers, extra virgin olive oil, a few basic aromatics and spices, and of course, spaghetti pasta.

But you can also make it with any type of pasta. I’ve made it with linguini, fettuccine, or even short pasta formats such as penne, rigatoni, or fusilli. It’s all about what do you have in your pantry!

Here’s a photo with all ingredients displayed, just remember to use the best quality you can afford, especially when it comes to canned tomatoes and olive oil.

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca Easy Recipe

I’m showing you how to make a quick fresh tomato sauce as a base of this recipe, but this is totally optional and can be swapped with a can of crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce.

Make the fresh tomato sauce

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.

Rinse the capers to remove the excess of salt and set aside.

Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant. Discard the garlic and add the 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.

Adjust salt to taste and turn off the heat. Add the oregano, mix and set aside.

While you’re cooking the sauce, cook the spaghetti as suggested in the package, drain it very well and add to the pan with the sauce.

Toss thoroughly to coat the spaghetti with the puttanesca sauce and serve immediately.

Serve your spaghetti alla puttanesca as it is with just a bit of chopped fresh parsley on top or a sprinkle of Parmigiano cheese.

You can also serve with a side of garlic bread, or the spaghetti itself as a side for grilled chicken or a juicy steak!

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 for spaghetti alla puttanesca always uses the Gaeta olives but in some countries is not possible to find that type of olives, so use any you have available.
• For the tomato sauce, it’s best to use the juiciest and ripest tomatoes you can find. If fresh tomatoes aren’t available, 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 for spaghetti alla puttanesca is prepared only with the mentioned ingredients, in other regions such as Lazio (where I live) the version with anchovies has become popular and is undoubtedly the best-known recipe abroad. I prefer this puttanesca recipe and that is the one that I’m sharing with you today.
• You can also make ahead the sauce and freeze it. So next time you crave this Italian dish, you can thaw the sauce and make the recipe in just 10-15 minutes!

More authentic Italian summer recipes

If you love authentic recipes, try also my other favorites!

• 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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This recipe was first published on June 2, 2014, and was recently edited to include more information.