Italian

Spaghetti alla puttanesca

Name: Spaghetti alla puttanesca recipe
Yield: 4
Cuisine: /italian
Ingredients: 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil; 4-6 anchovy fillets, drained; 2-3 garlic cloves, skin on, bashed with the back of a knife; 1 tbs finely chopped flat-leaf parsley stalks; 400g dried spaghetti; 2-3 tbs capers, rinsed, drained; 1/4 cup pitted black olives; 400g can chopped tomatoes; Small piece of pecorino or Parmigiano rind (optional); Freshly grated pecorino or Parmigiano, to serve; Chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves, to serve

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by Silvia Colloca

Cook and author

Mar 09, 2021

“Use a large pan so that your strands of spaghetti fit comfortably in one layer, without having to break them. If your pan isn’t big enough, try using a different pasta shape, such as rigatone or penne.” This is an edited extract from Simple Italian by Silvia Colloca, (Plum, $39.99). Available February 23. Photography by Rob Palmer.

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
4-6 anchovy fillets, drained
2-3 garlic cloves, skin on, bashed with the back of a knife
1 tbs finely chopped flat-leaf parsley stalks
400g dried spaghetti
2-3 tbs capers, rinsed, drained
1/4 cup pitted black olives
400g can chopped tomatoes
Small piece of pecorino or Parmigiano rind (optional)
Freshly grated pecorino or Parmigiano, to serve
Chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves, to serve

Method

1.

Put the kettle on, as you will need to add boiling water to the pan when you add the pasta.
2.

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan. Add the anchovy fillets and stir with a wooden spoon to break them down, then add the garlic and parsley stalks and stir to infuse the oil. Add the pasta, capers and olives and stir well. Pour in the tomatoes and enough boiling water to just cover all the pasta. Add your cheese rind, if using, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7-8 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Discard the cheese rind and garlic, then taste and season with salt and pepper if needed (remember the capers, olives and anchovies are salty so don’t overdo it). Finish with a sprinkling of grated cheese and chopped parsley to serve.

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