Bold, classic and easy for a Sunday supper
Cook pasta right in the sauce to make this flavourful Italian dish even speedier
Puttanesca, a classic Italian sauce made with tomatoes, garlic, anchovies, capers, and olives, offers bold flavour and comes together fairly quickly — perfect for a Sunday supper.
Cooking the tomato sauce in a skillet and then cooking the pasta directly in the sauce makes things even speedier.
For a lightly thickened sauce, we used whole peeled tomatoes, pulsed in the food processor, which gave us more consistent results than canned crushed tomatoes.
Sautéing the anchovies, garlic, and red pepper flakes at the outset provided a rich, savory foundation of flavour.
Finishing the dish with chopped kalamatas and capers preserved their briny notes and provided the big flavour we were after.
A sprinkle of nutty Parmesan and drizzle of fruity olive oil pulled everything together before serving. Be sure to simmer the tomatoes gently or the sauce will become too thick.
SKILLET PASTA PUTTANESCA Serves: 4
Start to finish: 45 minutes
3 (14.5-oz/428 mL) cans whole peeled tomatoes
3 tbsp (45 mL) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
6 anchovy fillets, rinsed and minced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
2 cups (500 mL) water
12 oz (340 g) thin spaghetti or spaghettini, broken in half
1/4 cup (60 mL) pitted kalamata olives, chopped coarse
1/4 cup (60 mL) minced
fresh parsley
3 tbsp (45 mL) capers, rinsed
Grated Parmesan cheese
Pulse tomatoes in food processor until coarsely ground and no large pieces remain, about 12 pulses.
Cook 2 tablespoons (30 mL) oil, anchovies, garlic, and pepper flakes together in 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
Stir in processed tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) salt. Simmer gently until tomatoes no longer taste raw, about 10 minutes.
Stir in water and pasta. Cover, increase heat to medium-high, and cook at vigorous simmer, stirring often, until pasta is tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
Stir in olives, parsley, capers, and remaining 1 tablespoon (15 mL) oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with Parmesan and extra olive oil.