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5 from 7 votes

Penne Puttanesca

Ultra flavorful pasta with capers, olives, anchovies, garlic, tomatoes, and fresh basil and parsley. Simple and can be made in about 35 minutes.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 pound penne pasta
  • 1 28 ounce can of plum tomatoes hand crushed or blender pulsed
  • 1 cup olives pitted and chopped, see notes below
  • 2 tablespoons capers rinsed
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 ounces tomato paste
  • 6 cloves garlic sliced
  • 5 anchovy fillets mashed
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste
  • 3 tablespoons parsley minced
  • 3 tablespoons basil hand torn
  • 2 ounces reserved pasta water

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to boil with 2 tablespoons of kosher salt.
  • Heat a large pan to medium-low and wait 2-3 minutes for it to heat up. Once the pan is hot, add a ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil then the garlic and anchovies.
  • Cook until the garlic turns golden and the anchovies mostly dissolve (about 3 minutes), then add the chili flakes and cook for 30 seconds more.
  • Next, add in the tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently.
  • Add the plum tomatoes, capers, and olives and stir them all together. Bring the sauce to a simmer. While the sauce is simmering boil the pasta until al dente.
  • Add 2 ounces of pasta water to the pan and turn heat to medium. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir quickly. Mix well and/or toss to emulsify. Cook for only 30-60 seconds being mindful to not overcook the pasta.
  • Turn off the heat and taste test. Adjust salt and pepper if required. Sprinkle the parsley and basil onto the pasta and serve in bowls with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • There are many salty ingredients in this dish.  Often no extra salt is needed.  Adjust according to taste.
  • Oil-cured black olives are my number one pick for pasta puttanesca.  If using oil-cured olives you must rinse them because they are extremely salty.  
  • Other good choices include Gaeta, Sicilian (Castelvetrano), or Greek Kalamata.
  • Anchovies are best purchased in jars.  They can be refrigerated and used when needed.
  • Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days and reheated in the microwave.

Nutrition

Calories: 644kcal | Carbohydrates: 96g | Protein: 23.9g | Fat: 21.1g | Saturated Fat: 2.9g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 1363mg | Potassium: 545mg | Fiber: 7.4g | Sugar: 11.9g | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 7mg