Quick Puttanesca Spaghetti

The combination of lemon and fresh parsley in this dish creates a voluptuous pasta and the saltiness of the capers in brine will remind you of the sea. This flexible favourite of ours is great for when you’re low on fresh ingredients. It can be served with a side salad or makes a great quick meal all on its own. Serves six.

Ingredients

● 2 small red chillies, fresh or dried

● 20g flat-leaf parsley

● 10 Kalamata olives

● 4 garlic cloves

● 4 tbsp olive oil

● 1 tbsp capers, plus 1 tbsp of brine from the jar

● ½ tsp salt, plus a little extra

● 700g passata

● 500g spaghetti

● 220g tenderstem broccoli

● 1 lemon

Method

Put a large saucepan on a medium-high heat and a large saucepan of boiling salted water on a high heat.

Rip the stems from the chillies, cut them in half lengthways, remove the seeds if you prefer a milder sauce, and finely chop. Separate the parsley stalks and finely chop, reserving the leaves for later. Stone and roughly chop the olives.

Peel two of the garlic cloves. Pour two tablespoons of the oil into the empty saucepan, crush in the garlic and add the chillies, parsley stalks, olives

and capers and stir for two to three minutes. Add the ½ teaspoon of salt and one tablespoon of the salty brine water from the jar of capers. Leave to cook for a minute, then add the passata. Taste and season with salt if necessary. Turn the heat to medium and leave to simmer.

Add the spaghetti to the pan of boiling water along with the remaining two garlic cloves. Cook until al dente, following the instructions on the packet.

Meanwhile, carefully slice the broccoli stems from top to bottom, creating thin strips. Add these to the spaghetti pan for the last 30 seconds of cooking time to quickly soften. Drain the pasta and broccoli in a colander and return them to the pan. Pour over the sauce.

Roughly chop the parsley leaves and add them to the pan. Pour over the remaining two tablespoons of oil and squeeze over the juice of a whole lemon, catching any pips in your other hand.

Mix everything together and serve immediately.