Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
Pasta with tomatoes, olives, capers & anchovies
Ingredients
- 400 g Spaghetti
- 1 tin San Marzano tomatoes (DOP)
- 6 Anchovy fillets
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 100 g Kalamata olives
- 2 tbsp Capers
- 40 ml Extra-virgin olive oil
- 40 g Salt
- ½ tsp Red pepper flakes (optional)
- 3 tbsp Parsley (optional)
Method
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt heavily.
- Slice the garlic thin. Pit and roughly chop the olives.
- Crush the tomatoes by hand. Chop the parsley.
- Warm the oil with garlic in a skillet over medium-low until pale gold.
- Add the anchovies and stir until they melt into the oil.
- Tip in the tomatoes, olives, capers, and chilli. Simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Drop the spaghetti and cook one minute shy of al dente (firm to the bite).
- Reserve a mugful of pasta water, then drain.
- Toss the spaghetti in the sauce off heat for a minute, loosening with pasta water until glossy.
- Plate and shower with parsley.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
Spaghetti alla puttanesca is a Neapolitan pantry pasta, a gutsy southern Italian sauce built entirely from things that keep — anchovies, olives, capers, and canned tomatoes — which is exactly why it can come together in about twenty minutes without a trip to the market. Its bawdy name and murky origin story have inspired plenty of legend, but the dish itself is straightforward: a punchy, briny tomato sauce clung to strands of spaghetti. It sits proudly in the tradition of cucina povera, coaxing outsized flavor from cheap, shelf-stable ingredients.
What you taste is savory depth and salt-cured intensity — the anchovies melt invisibly into warm oil and disappear as fish, leaving only a deep umami backbone, while olives and capers bring salt and tang and red pepper flakes bring a low heat. The method rewards a couple of small disciplines: cooking the garlic only to pale gold, pulling the pasta a minute shy of al dente, and finishing it in the sauce with a splash of starchy pasta water so everything turns glossy and cohesive rather than watery. It's a fast, single-pan weeknight dinner that eats like something you fussed over — best served immediately, with no cheese needed given how much salt the sauce already carries.
Spaghetti alla Puttanesca: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Spaghetti alla Puttanesca?
A serving has about 525 calories — 16.9g protein, 82g carbs, 14.7g fat, 6.1g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Spaghetti alla Puttanesca gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Spaghetti. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.
How long does Spaghetti alla Puttanesca take to make?
About 22 minutes start to finish, but only around 16 of those are hands-on — the rest is cooking time. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Spaghetti alla Puttanesca?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out red pepper flakes, parsley — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Spaghetti alla Puttanesca make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.