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Spaghetti alla Puttanesca served in a plate and two small bowls with cappers and olives on the side.

How to Make Authentic Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

author Maricruz Avalos Flores
4 servings
A simple, yet flavorful puttanesca sauce used to coat spaghetti or your favorite pasta. Enjoy as a quick and easy main dish for lunch, or serve as a side for grilled chicken or steak.
prep 10 minutes
cook 10 minutes
total 20 minutes
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Equipment

  • Large pan

Ingredients 
Cups (US) - Metric

  • 12 oz spaghetti
  • 1.75 pound fresh tomatoes
  • 1 cup Gaeta olives (or any other kind of black olives)
  • 3 Tablespoons capers
  • 2 ½ Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or parsley)
  • 1 clove garlic (peeled)
  • salt (to taste)

Instructions
 

  • Bring 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. 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 large pan over medium-high heat. Fry the garlic until golden. Discard the garlic and add the tomatoes.
  • Cook the tomato sauce for 2 minutes. Add the capers and olives then sprinkle a little bit of salt.  Cover the pan and set the heat to low.
  • Let the sauce cook for 10-15 minutes. If needed, add a little bit of hot water so that the sauce doesn't dry out. 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 to the pan with the sauce.
  • Coat well the pasta with sauce and serve immediately.

Notes

  • 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.
  • You can make the sauce ahead and freeze it. So next time you crave some Italian dish, you can thaw the sauce and make the recipe in just 10-15 minutes!
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1 serving | 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