Name: Puttanesca Sauce with Pasta
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1/4 cup olive oil; 6 cloves minced garlic; 2 pounds of fresh plum tomatoes put through a food processor (remove stems first and cut off the tops, add whole or sliced) or use 2 (28-ounce) cans Roma plum tomatoes, broken into pieces, with juice (we recommend San Marzano); 1 cup tightly packed, pitted, and halved Kalamata olives, or use your favorite black olives; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 2 tablespoons drained capers; 2 tablespoons minced anchovy fillets (about 8 fillets) or use anchovy paste around 4 ounces; 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley; 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes; salt and pepper to taste; Optional Ingredients to Add: see notes for altering the recipe for meat lovers or if you're not a black olive fan; 1 tablespoon basil; 1 small minced onion that will go in with the garlic; 1 pound Rigatoni pasta cooked to package instructions or your favorite pasta originally this dish is made with spaghetti and called "Spaghetti alla Puttanesca"

Here is one of my favorite childhood pasta dishes mom would make called Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca which is a flavorful pasta dish very popular in Italy.

The original Neapolitan ingredients are simple using fresh plum tomatoes, capers, kalamata or black olives, garlic, and oregano.

Although the original recipe from Naples, the capital of Campania, uses tomatoes, black olives, capers, anchovies, onions, garlic, and herbs, usually oregano, parsley, and sometimes basil however I have written the recipe the way mom made it, time and time again you will find each Region cooks differently.

This sauce is made to taste exactly like mom made, and she adapted it many ways to our taste over the years, especially around Lent or Christmas holiday, mom's family was from the Bari region of Italy.

Bari is the largest urban and metro area on the Adriatic. It is located in Southern Italy, at a more northerly latitude than Naples, further south than Rome where my Grandmother on my dad's side was born.

Although you can use your favorite bottled sauce to save time, mom always made her sauce from scratch and so do I for the best results.

The recipe is truly super simple to make served originally with spaghetti which again we use whatever we like or had on hand.

When it comes to authentic, most Italians love to discuss the correct ingredients for traditional or an authentic style dish.

As I mentioned regional versions have several recipes or opinions on this Italian popular dish will become a topic of conversation on whats right and wrong.

Two things that have been brought to my attention are in this dish no grated cheese is ever used if with anchovies (because in Italy no cheese on seafood) and no basil just oregano which is weird since oregano is only found on pizza in Italy, not sauce so who knows it's a region thing and becomes very confusing.

Here in America, we adapted our recipe, as mom lived in the U.S. all her life but her mom from Bari.

She adapted to her own taste and the dish was always delicious and how her mom taught her, so in closing make Puttanesca the way you're taught and Region you're from, we have suggestions below, which turn it into a gourmet meal we substitutions and adapted additions!

Scroll down to get this easily printable recipe with step-by-step instructions.

sauce made with black olives an Italian special dish

Making the Sauce

Growing up we ate lots of pasta meals, and mom would get very creative.

This simple-to-follow pasta sauce is super delicious and easy to make but again if you love puttanesca just use the best marinara out there in a jar (don't tell anymore I said that).

Our basic sauce can be changed instantly adapted with just a few ingredients and honestly worth that extra step even using Italian imported whole tomatoes instead of fresh plum over jar sauce.

We just love this easy dish with olives, and if you're not a fan reading this and want to change the whole recipe, use another suggestion below we've added for a substitution.

Italian puttancesca sauce made with black olives

Other Substitutions and Sauce Additions

sauteed mushrooms
anchovies, eggplant, zucchini slices, broccoli, spinach anything can be added to the sauce or on top of the pasta
bell peppers or hot peppers
tuna fish
shellfish, or another kind of seafood you like
cooked pork tenderloin
cooked steak
cooked lamb meat
any leftover meats like rotisserie chicken or roasted chicken breast boneless

Pasta Suggestions

rigatoni
bowties
mostaccioli
fusilli
seashells
angel hair or spaghetti, linguine, fettucine, vermicelli

fresh plum tomatoes garlic and spaghetti

Ingredients You Will Need

olive oil
minced garlic
fresh plum tomatoes (we recommend San Marzano if using canned)
Kalamata olives, or use your favorite black olives
tomato paste
drained capers
minced anchovy fillets or anchovy paste
dried oregano
chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
dried crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste see notes for other options under tips and suggestions

Tips

cook any kind of pasta you like to package instructions and keep warm
to save time use a bottle of marinara jar sauce
make a full meat lovers pasta by adding loose sausage, pepperoni, Proscuitto
use only vine-ripe rosa tomatoes for the best results
add mushrooms or other vegetables to the sauce you would prefer and substitute olives
add anchovies paste to taste more or less
for a healthier version just use a low carb pasta or whole wheat
Kalamata olives are preferred in this recipe however you can use black or green sliced
if using canned tomatoes use whole plums from Italy for the best results
salt, pepper, and for heat add red pepper flakes to taste

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Olives and Pasta Lovers

If you have a favorite pasta this puttanesca sauce is great on any style you pick except probably a dense gnocchi or cavatelli.

Again refer to how your family enjoys pasta, and regional ingredients and make this recipe your way.

If you love basil add basil if you love cheese go for it and if you want authenticity then you will need to research the Region this dish originally came from which is also a matter for discussion on who actually invented the dish.