Pasta Puttanesca

Top view of a bowl full of puttanesca pasta with black olives and capers.

4.50 from 2 votes

This flavor-packed pasta puttanesca typically uses basic cupboard ingredients like tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, olives, chili flakes, and capers. You can use fresh or canned tomatoes, and the addition of fresh parsley makes this dish even better.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: puttanesca pasta

Servings:

Calories: 316kcal

Author: Katia

Ingredients

2 tablespoon olive oil or extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoon Capers in brine, drained
½ cup (80 grams) black olives like Kalamata, halved and pitted
¼ to ½ teaspoon chili flakes, to taste
1 can (14oz/400 grams) diced or whole peeled tomatoes
2-3 tablespoon Fresh Italian parsley, chopped
¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste

PASTA

8oz (220 grams) spaghetti or bucatini

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt, and cook your pasta until al dente, but drain about 1 minute before the suggested cooking time.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, capers, olives, and chili flakes (use from ¼ to ½ teaspoon chili flakes, according to your liking). Cook until fragrant (about 1 minute).
Stir in the tomatoes and cook over medium heat for about 8 minutes. Finally, stir in the chopped parsley and salt. I use ¼ tsp of salt, but I recommend seasoning to taste as the olives and capers can be salty. Your puttanesca sauce is ready, but turn the heat off if your pasta is not done yet.
Drain the pasta tip into the skillet, adding a few tablespoons of the cooking water. Toss well to combine, and cook over high-medium heat for a further minute before serving.
Garnish with more parsley and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, if desired. Parmesan cheese is not a typical ingredient for this pasta; feel free to skip it. Enjoy. x

Notes

Nutritional values: The nutrition values are for one serving and are based on an online nutrition calculator. They are estimates only, and they should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. Please see my disclosure policies.

Nutrition