Pasta alla Vesuviana – Bold and Spicy

With its briny capers and olives, rich tomatoes, and hot red pepper, the aptly named Pasta alla Vesuviana beautifully showcases the flavors of southern Italian cuisine. This simple pasta is not only delicious but also comes together quickly, making it perfect for weeknights.

A true flavor explosion

Much like the volcano this dish is named for, Pasta alla Vesuviana packs some heat, resulting in an explosion of flavors.

The hot red pepper adds just the right amount of spice, and the combination of the olives, capers, garlic, and oregano can’t be beat. The addition of fresh mozzarella balances the dish out, resulting in a truly delicious pasta dish you’ll make again and again.

While pasta Vesuviana is similar in flavor to penne puttanesca, there is no anchovy in this dish, and I like to use the volcano-shaped Vesuvio pasta instead of penne, though any pasta shape will do. Many versions of this dish simply use spaghetti.

Recipe Ingredients

All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.

• Olives. I’m using a combination of Castelvetrano, Kalamata, and Gaeta olives, all of which have been pitted. You can use any type of olive you’d like.
• Capers. Be sure to rinse your capers before using them, as they are quite salty.
• Tomatoes. I’m using a 28-ounce can of plum tomatoes that I hand-crushed, but you can also pulse them in a blender or use a can of crushed tomatoes.
• Red pepper flakes. This is the component that adds heat to the dish. Feel free to add more, or less, depending on your tolerance and desire for spicy food.
• Pasta. Any pasta shape will do for this dish, but I do love to use Vesuvio pasta. This pasta is shaped like a volcano, is named after Mt. Vesuvius, and is the perfect complement to the Vesuviana sauce!
• Cheese. I’m using grated Parmigiano Reggiano and cubed fresh mozzarella. If you can’t find fresh mozzarella, you can use block mozzarella. Fresh mozzarella pearls would also work well here.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to make it

Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.

1. Bring a pot of salted water to boil and heat a large pan to medium heat. Saute the onion in olive oil with a pinch of salt and cook until soft, then add the garlic and cook until golden.
2. Add the capers, olives, and hot red pepper flakes and cook for another 2 minutes.

3. Add the plum tomatoes and oregano and bring the sauce to a simmer. At this time, begin to boil the pasta and cook to 1 minute short of al dente.
4. Add 2 ounces of pasta water to the pan and turn the heat to medium, then add the pasta to the sauce and stir quickly, mixing well or tossing to emulsify. Cook just until the pasta reaches al dente, then remove the pan from the heat.
5. Add the parmesan and fresh mozzarella and toss to combine. If the sauce is too thick, add a tablespoon or two of pasta water to loosen it up.

6. Taste test and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Serve and enjoy!

More southern Italian pastas

If you love the bold flavors of Southern Italy, give these other pastas a try.

• Spaghetti all’Assassina
• Pasta al tonno
• Pasta alla Norma