If you speak or understand Italian you’ll know that Spaghetti alla Puttanesca literally means prostitute’s spaghetti! ‘Puttana’ in Italian means prostitute or whore! However, despite the name, this is a very popular pasta recipe in Italy and abroad. Although, out of Italy, many recipes include other ingredients, which often has Italians up in arms!
What is Puttanesca?
Like so many other Italian dishes there are various opinions on how this pasta dish got its name! Some believe that it was a dish made by a brothel owner in the Spanish quarter (red light district) of Naples.
Although it's not clear, if he offered it to his patrons or used it to entice customers through the door with the spicy, pungent aroma produced by its ingredients.
Others believe that this was the easiest thing prostitutes could prepare between customers because the low cost, easily stored ingredients required little shopping or preparation.
More believable, perhaps, is the story that this very popular sauce originated in Ischia around 1950. It was created by Sandro Petti, the co-owner of the restaurant, Rangio Felon.
The story goes that some customers arrived late to eat and because the restaurant had run out of many fresh ingredients, they asked Petti to prepare ‘una puttanata qualsiasi’, which literally translates as ‘a whore’s any’ but means any rubbish/ garbage.
So, Petti created a dish with what he had, or rather had left, in the kitchen. The resulting pasta dish was liked so much by the customers that Petti put it on the restaurant menu calling it ‘spaghetti all puttanesca’.
Two rules for authentic Puttanesca
Italians love to talk about food and they are very vocal when it comes to discussing the correct ingredients for traditional dishes. Because there are regional versions of many popular dishes, they can often be heard disputing among themselves what is the correct way to cook something!
However, when it comes to Puttanesca there are a couple of strict rules Italians all agree on. No Parmigiano cheese if you make it with anchovies (Italians don’t usually use cheese on seafood pasta dishes) and no basil.
Ingredients
- Pasta: Use a good quality Italian branded pasta if possible. Traditionally spaghetti is used for Puttanesca, but you can also use other long pasta types like linguine.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Extra virgin olive oil adds a lot of richness to the puttanesca sauce, so it's important to use a good-quality one.
- Garlic: Thinly slice or chop the garlic to ensure it melds seamlessly into the oil, creating a fragrant base.
- Anchovy Fillets: These add a lot of richness and umami to the recipe. If using salted anchovies, rinse off the excess salt; if using oil-packed, drain them well.
- Peperoncino Flakes or Fresh Peperoncino: Adjust the heat to your liking.
- Capers: If using salted capers, rinse under water to remove excess salt. Capers add a necessary unique flavor to the dish.
- Olives: Black or green olives work well. I used Taggiasca olives for their rich flavor and firm texture.
- Fresh Tomatoes: San Marzano or datterini tomatoes are ideal for their sweet flavor and low acidity. Peel and deseed them for a smoother sauce.
- Fresh Parsley: Use flat-leaf parsley for its stronger flavor.
Expert Tips
Tomato Preparation: To deskin and deseed fresh tomatoes, start by scoring a small "X" on the bottom of each tomato. Blanch them in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds, then transfer them to cold water. The skin should peel off easily. After, cut them in half horizontally and use a small spoon to remove the seeds.
Pasta Water and Sauce Consistency: Don't discard the pasta water after boiling the spaghetti. This starchy water will help make a silky and well-emulsified sauce. If the sauce is too thick, gradually add some pasta water to reach your desired consistency. Conversely, if the sauce is too thin, allow it to simmer slightly longer to reduce it to your liking.
Step by Step Instructions
1) Start by boiling water for the spaghetti. Once boiling, add salt and return to a rolling boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package instructions until just under al dente. Reserve one cup of pasta water before draining.
2) Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet. Add the garlic, anchovies, and peperoncino. Cook over medium heat until the garlic is fragrant and the anchovies have dissolved, about 5 minutes.
3) Add capers, a bit of parsley and olives and stir to combine.
4) Add the tomatoes to the pan and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.
5) Add the drained spaghetti and a splash of pasta water to the sauce.
6) Cook, stirring and shaking the pan and adding more pasta water as necessary to keep the sauce a little liquidy until pasta is perfectly al dente. Sprinkle in more parsley and taste to season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Storage and Leftovers
Store any leftover Spaghetti alla Puttanesca in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy it within the next 3 days.
When you're ready to reheat, place the leftovers in a microwave-safe dish and cover the dish. Microwave in intervals, stirring in between each interval to ensure even heating until the dish is hot throughout.
FAQs
If you are planning to make ‘authentic’ puttanesca, it has capers! For the Italians, if it doesn’t have capers, it isn’t puttanesca. So, it needs to be called something else!
Of course, you should make it the way that suits your tastes. Ingredient quantities aren't rigid. It's still delicious if you use less or more of something.
If fresh tomatoes aren't available, you can also use a can of San Marzano tomatoes. However, you will need to simmer the sauce for longer before adding the pasta to get the right consistency.
The two main versions of Puttanesca are the original Neapolitan version and the version from Lazio. The Neapolitan recipe includes fresh peeled tomatoes, capers, black olives, garlic, oregano, and sometimes peperoncino. The Lazio variation, on the other hand, typically includes anchovies, replaces oregano with parsley, and sometimes uses green olives instead of black ones. Both recipes are simple to make and very tasty.
More popular Italian classic pasta recipes
- Spaghetti alla carbonara
- Spaghetti aglio e olio
- Bucatini all'arrabbiata
- Pasta cacio e pepe
- Pasta alla papalina
If you do try this spaghetti alla puttanesca recipe, I’d love to hear what you think. Please write a comment here on the blog or post a comment on the Pasta Project Facebook page.
Your feedback means a lot to me!
Buon appetito!
(This recipe was originally published in March 2018 but has been updated with new photos and text)
Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
Ingredients
- 14 oz spaghetti
- 3-4 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3-4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 6-8 anchovy fillets finely chopped (Italians prefer salted anchovies but you can also use those in oil)
- 1 teaspoon peperoncino flakes (Italian red chili pepper) or 1- ½ a chopped peperoncino
- 1 tablespoon capers drained and chopped. (Italians also prefer salted capers. If you use these rinse them under water before using them)
- 3.5 oz pitted black or green olives I used taggiasca olives
- 14 oz fresh sauce tomatoes (San Marzano or datterini) peeled, deseeded and chopped
- 1 handful fresh parsley leaves chopped
- freshly ground black pepper
- salt for pasta and to taste
Instructions
- Start by boiling water for the spaghetti. Once boiling, add salt and return to a rolling boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package instructions until just under al dente. Reserve one cup of pasta water before draining.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet. Add the garlic, anchovies, and peperoncino. Cook over medium heat until the garlic is fragrant and the anchovies have dissolved, about 5 minutes.
- Add capers, a bit of parsley and olives and stir to combine.
- Add the tomatoes to the pan and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.
- Add the drained spaghetti and a splash of pasta water to the sauce.
- Cook, stirring and shaking the pan and adding more pasta water as necessary to keep the sauce a little liquidy until pasta is perfectly al dente. Sprinkle in more parsley and taste to season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Although traditionally served with spaghetti, alla puttanesca can be served with other long pasta such as linguine or fettuccine.
- The quantity of the individual ingredients can be altered depending on one's taste. Some people prefer less olives, capers or anchovies.
Nutrition
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If you are interested in learning how to make homemade pasta and different types of gnocchi, check out my shop page for some great video online courses from my friends in Rome! Nothing beats learning to make pasta from Italians! Plus while you’re there why not order a copy of my autumn/winter pasta recipes cookbook!?
Nichole Micchia says
Ciao Jacqui,
By far the best (and most authentic) Puttanesca I have ever had (and I'm Italian!) Everyone I make this dish for absolutely raves about it. I have converted caper and or anchovy haters with this meal - absolutely delicious!
Matrix says
I used cherry tomatoes. Halved them and the black olives by placing them between 2 plastic lids and slicing with serrated bread knife.
I had 1/2 jar of passata (thin tomato sauce) and added that. It was a good addition. A bit of pasta water in with the sauce. Finish cooking the pasta in the sauce and serve promptly.
Oh, and I added 6 sauteed shrimp per portion.
Excellent dish.
Maggie says
Great taste! This was an amazing recipe, and so easy to make. Hubby raving about it. Followed the recipe to the letter, except for the tomatoes…I had to sub canned ones, but the taste was still great.. so simple and fast. This will be a welcome addition to our pasta nights. Thank you!
Matrix says
I've seen several recipes where all the ingredients are "off the shelf" so using canned tomatoes (San Marzano preferably) is legit.
Gianluca Daniele Di Maggio says
Jamie Oliver is known for being a joke among chefs so don't take any of his recipes too seriously. They're often not authentic. I love this dish, although I make a big pot without anchovis but with tuna, without any herbs or parmesan, which lasts a few days and can be frozen and reheated very well! Of course, olives and capers are a must but I swap peperoncini for chili flakes and chili powder, since it's just more consistent for a big pot. It's our family recipe. Absolutely delicious!
Natalie says
It was good for me. I followed the instruction to adapt to taste so I halved the pasta, doubled the capers, used a whole can of anchovies and used Mutti canned tomatoes as well as a large plum tomato for bite, I love puttanesca and this recipe is delicious. Made too much and just had it for lunch too.
slimware driver update crack says
Well-written and well-done.
I just started writing blogs, and I've seen that a lot of people just rewrite old posts and add a few new ones.
cost very little. It's good to add an article that your subscribers and I can really use.
Amanda says
The recipe is easy to make. So tasty and delicious. Definitely making it again. Thanks for sharing.
Catherine says
From Catherine in Brittany. This is a wonderful recipe, thank you so much. I have always avoided anchovies but recently decided to give them another try. Your recipe was not only delicious but perfect.
Jacqui says
Hi Catherine, thanks so much for your comment. I'm pleased you like this puttanesca recipe. Italians use anchovies a lot to add a umami flavour to dishes and surprisingly for many, it doesn't add a fishy taste!
Sarah says
This was really good! My husband has been craving Puttanesca from the best Italian restaurant in our area of Scotland, and he said this was so close! I've been asked to make it again this week.
The only thing I might do next time is lower the amount of spaghetti I use to make it more 'saucy'.
I have one very happy husband!
Jacqui says
Dear Sarah, thanks for your comment! I'm thrilled you were happy with this recipe! Of course, using less pasta will make it more saucy. Italians usally use 100g (3.5oz) per person but sometimes also 80g. However, it's not set in stone so go for what you prefer!
Steve says
Jacqui, living in Kansas City, Missouri it is impossible to find fresh San Marzano tomatoes here, I can find the canned whole ones. Will the flavor be degraded using canned tomatoes?
Jacqui says
Hi Steve, thanks for your comment! It's okay to use canned San Marzano or you can use other types of very ripe plum tomatoes. Let me know how your puttanesca turns out! Buon appetito!
Laurens Hessels says
Actually, canned tomatoes are even better, I do find. I will put in Pulpa fine de tomates di Mutti. Filetti di acciughe, Meduca. And take it from there..... A few ripened cherry tomato's for the bite.
Ramona says
This was delicious, awesome and absolutely fantastic! I will be making this dish again and again, I never thought I would like capers as much as I do, thanks for introducing these to me and my family! A dish to make over and over for sure. I have saved the recipe and will always be using this from now on. I will try other pasta dishes from your wonderful collection.
The Pasta Project says
Thank you so much, Ramona! We love that this is a favourite of yours!