William isn’t a huge anchovy fan. But he opened his mind and mouth to pasta puttanesca when I began making it (or buying a prepared version) a few years ago. The sauce, punctuated with varied salty accents, is one of our favorites. And it’s simple enough to whip up on a weeknight.
This recipe calls for crushed rather than diced tomatoes. The sauce better clings to the pasta when it has a few less chunks. Also, I used basil here instead of traditional oregano—but either herb would do. My only other advice is to use fresh pasta. It costs more than dried pasta, but if you’re forgoing a hunk of meat for the evening, the splurge is justified and most certainly worth it.
Pasta Puttanesca
1/4 cup olive oil
1 2-ounce can anchovies packed in olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons capers, drained and coarsely chopped
1 pound fresh linguine
1/2 cup basil, cut into thick ribbons
Instructions
Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons oil from anchovies in a 4-quart pot. Chop anchovies and add them to the oil, along with garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until garlic is a pale golden color and fragrant.
Add crushed tomatoes, olives, and capers, stirring to incorporate oil. Bring to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salty water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook al dente. Drain pasta.
Toss pasta with puttanesca sauce and top with basil.
Serves 4 to 6