Puttanesca – your pantry’s secret weapon! Ok, let’s start with the basics. Very few of us have a proper pantry. I’d kill for one, but we all have a cupboard or even a box of basics, so we can knock up something to eat. Baked beans, sardines in tomato sauce, pasta, and noodles might all make the list. Now, mine may sound a little too out there to some, but bear in mind my thirty years as a chef.
If I ever get the chance to write a book, I think I’d call it ‘Store Cupboard Staples’. Recipes made with all the things I keep in the cupboard of a small galley kitchen. That would include smoked paprika, capers, anchovies, chilli flakes, thyme, vanilla pods, muscovado sugar, sherry vinegar, coriander and mustard seeds, and very good olive oil. You may be surprised just how many of these make it into today’s recipe.
A little Puttanesca History
Without wishing to offend, the next bit is a little shocking, but seriously, the story about large pepper grinders is worse. Originating in the Quartieri Spagnoli in Naples, Puttanesca if you wish to look it up in the Oxford English Dictionary, translates as ‘of, relating to, or characteristic of a prostitute’. Why? Well, the options include it was quick and simple to make and eat in between what prostitutes do. That, or that it smelled so delicious that it drew people in from the streets and was good advertising?
However, there is a more prosaic answer that is more likely than Neapolitan ladies of ill repute creating sublime pasta sauces in backstreet brothels. Puttanesca is probably just the ultimate tasty fast food made with the titbits you should have in your cupboard. The rock musician and food and wine historian Jeremy Parzan suggests that Italians use ‘puttana’ in the same way Anglo-Saxons use shit as an all-purpose swear word. So ‘alla puttanesca’ could just be another way of saying I made this with all the shit I had hanging around in the cupboard.
What to drink with Puttanesca?
My suggestion is Chianti Classico, with its earthy, smoky, and spicy notes, which complement the flavours of olives, anchovies, and capers. The acidity of a Primitivo pairs well with the tomato and cuts through the strong flavours. Finally, if you prefer white, try a crisp, fresh Greco di Tufo.
My Puttanesca
The basic ingredients are tomatoes, black olives, anchovies, capers, and a pinch of chilli heat, but don’t go light on any of them; they are the dish! I think everyone can agree that it’s a pretty punchy bunch of flavours. You will likely also find some of the following ingredients: olive oil, onion, garlic, basil, oregano, and parsley. Interestingly, in Naples, recipes tend to omit the anchovies, while in Palermo, they add raisins. Puttanesca sauce is normally served with spaghetti, but as it’s a store cupboard recipe, linguine, rigatoni, and penne all work perfectly. Finally, the dish has so many salty and umami flavours, I personally don’t think you need to add grated Parmesan or Pecorino.
My Puttanesca
Ingredients
- 350 gr Spaghetti
- 100 ml quality Olive Oil
- 3 large ripe Beef Tomatoes peeled, deseeded, and diced
- 100 gr quality Black Olives
- 8 -10 quality Anchovy Fillets
- 6 cloves Garlic peeled and very finely sliced
- 2 tablespoons Tomato Puree
- A handful fresh Parsley washed, dried and chopped
- 2 heaped tablespoons Baby Capers drained and roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried Chilli Flakes you can add more if you like things hotter
- Sea Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
Equipment
- 1 large pan for pasta
Instructions
- Gently heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed sauté pan and soften the garlic without colouring.
- Add the anchovies and stir to help them break up, then add the tomato pieces and chilli flakes and slowly cook for a few minutes.
- Add the tomato puree and cook out for a couple of minutes stirring continuously. Add a splash of the pasta water if the tomatoes become too dry.
- Add the capers and olives and heat through before checking the seasoning. This dish will be quite salty, but you can add a good grind of black pepper.
- Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta, stir and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- When the pasta is cooked drain well and toss in the Puttanesca sauce. Add the chopped parsley and serve.
Notes
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