Puttanesca is one of the first dishes I ever cooked, and it it still one of my favorite sauces. Quick, easy, and vibrant with earthy piquant flavors, it originated in Naples—and the earliest recipe dates back to 1844. Here, I substitute fish sauce for chopped anchovies, for ease of ingredients. This is a perfect example of Southern Italian cooking: The flavors meld together in a beautiful tangle or brine, sweetness, and unctuousness.
Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup good olive oil
- 2 large garlic cloves, sliced paper thin
- 16 ounces crushed tomatoes (san marzano are the most lovely)
- 1/2 cup olives, halved, pitted (luques, cerignola, or picholine)
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon drained, rinsed capers
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3/4 pound spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
Procedure:
1. Fill a large stock pot with water and generously salt. Place over high heat and bring to a boil while you assemble the other ingredients.
2. Heat oil in medium heavy-bottomed pot over medium high heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, and golden about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and stir with a wooden spoon and a full heart. Next, add olives, anchovies, capers, oregano, and crushed red pepper. Simmer sauce over medium-low heat until thickened, breaking up tomatoes with spoon, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. When the sauce is simmering, add the dried pasta to the boiling water and cook for 6 minutes at a rolling boil. Spoon a few ounces of the pasta water into the sauce before you drain the pasta. Add the spaghetti to the sauce, and continuously stir over low heat until the pasta and the sauce are perfectly incorporated. Serve with a Primativo, and a come hither smile.
Excerpted with permission from Crave by Karen Akunowicz.