Pasta Puttanesca – fennel, garlic, onions, anchovy, olives, capers and mushrooms load this tomato sauce with flavor. Delicious, quick and easy – it cooks about half an hour. Not familiar with Puttanesca?  You’re in for a real treat!

Spaghetti & Linguine Puttanesca

I’ve been meaning to share my Pasta Puttanesca recipe for quite some time. It’s one of my go to pasta dishes when I need a delicious dinner on the table and I’m pressed for time.

This sauce has an unbelievable amount of flavor. There is so much bold and bright flavor – layer after layer of it –  in each bite. There is so much going on,  yet it all blends beautifully.

The origins of this dish are interesting. It is said that puttanesca was the sauce of the puttana, or a “lady of the night”.  

There are different stories on why it was this “working woman’s” sauce of choice. Some say the enticing smell of the simmering sauce would lure potential customers in. Others say the ladies were so busy and needed a quick and delicious sauce ready to go to keep themselves and waiting customers fed.

I’m betting it was a combination of all those reasons.

Ingredients & Instructions for Preparing Puttanesca

Basically all your aromatics, herbs & veggies get combined with olive oil & sauce and cook down to create a beautiful sauce.

As for the anchovies. If you like them, love them, can’t stand them – it doesn’t matter so much here. There is no distinct taste of anchovy in this sauce. The anchovy blends to create another magical dimension of this surprisingly simple sauce.

True story. I remember as a kid going out to a restaurant and ordering spaghetti with red sauce. I asked the waitress if there was any fish in the sauce. She said she didn’t know and looked at me like I was absolutely insane. I replied that I would have the spaghetti if there was no fish in the sauce.

Why would a kid ask such a thing? In America, you don’t find sauces laden with anchovy or sardines that often. You sure do when you’re abroad. Anyhow, I’m guessing we just got home from visiting family in Europe and somewhere I had stumbled upon some super fishy sauce. Rest assured, this isn’t one of them.

Serve this Puttanesca with spaghetti, linguine – any pasta you would prefer! It’s a wonderful authentic Italian dish that’s so quick & simple to make!

Hope you enjoy!

Amanda ♥

Pasta Puttanesca

Amanda

A fresh twist on a classic Italian sauce. Fennel, garlic, onions and mushrooms load this Puttanesca with flavor. Quick, easy and delicious.

5 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Pasta

Cuisine Italian

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 3-4 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1 fennel bulb cored & diced
• 4 oz mushrooms your favorite, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced or pressed
• 1 jar your favorite tomato sauce 24 oz
• 1/4 – 3/4 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup pitted sliced black or kalamata olives i use both
• 2 teaspoon capers
• pinch of oregano
• pinch of black pepper
• 1 2 oz can anchovies, drained & chopped
• salt to taste
• fresh parsley snipped
• freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano
• *1/2 pound – 1 pound cooked pasta spaghetti, linguine
• use a half pound if you like your pasta very saucy – a pound if you prefer a light coating of sauce

Instructions

 

• Heat olive oil In a dutch oven or large skillet.
• Add onion and fennel saute until translucent and tender – about 10 minutes.
• Add mushrooms, saute for a few minutes.
• Add garlic, saute for a minute.
• Add sauce, red pepper, olives, capers, oregano, black pepper and anchovies.
• Bring to bubbly boil, reduce heat to low and cook covered for about 15 minutes.
• Add cooked spaghetti & a bit (approx 1/4 cup) of pasta water to sauce and toss.
• Salt to taste. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and loads of freshly grated cheese. Enjoy!

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!