Pasta night is always a delicious idea. If you like making pasta sauces, one of my favorites Puttanesca Sauce. It's loaded with flavor and easy to make.
For the most part, little effort is needed to make delicious homemade pasta sauces. SO many options exits for pasta sauces (red, white, simple, complex, creamy, vegetarian, loaded with meat or shellfish etc.). Homemade pasta sauce sings with flavor!
Whipping up a flavorful sauce, like this puttanesca sauce recipe really does not take much time at all , just some good ingredients and a little bit of love.
Table of Contents
What is Puttanesca Sauce?
Said to have been created in Naples Italy during the mid 20th century, the name Puttanesca comes from the Italian term for "ladies of the night". Puttanesca sauce is vibrant and flavorful pasta sauce with a kick. Delicious over your favorite type of pasta.
Ingredients
- olive oil
- onion
- jalapeno (optional)
- garlic cloves
- anchovy paste or anchovies
- olives (black, Kalamata, green or a mix)
- fresh parsley
- capers
- tomatoes
- salt
- sugar (optional)
This is a favorite sauce of both my my sister, husband and BIL. My sister even asked me to make a HUGE pot of it for my nieces 7th birthday (and I did).
This sauce is LOADED with flavor - and you of course can customize it to your taste! This is a staple sauce in my house, my husband is quite happy about that!
Variations
- Choose how spicy or tame you want your Spaghetti alla puttanesca to be by adding a jalapeno (or not) and red pepper flakes. If you have any sort of hot pepper in your garden, you can always choose to add one of those as well.
- Onions are not traditional for this sauce, I just feel like they add great flavor. You can always choose to omit them.
- Add in black olives, Kalamata olives or a mix of black and green olives as I often like to do.
- This may sound crazy, however, I have been known to add in some Cajun seasoning to this. I am sure your nonna would not approve, but its flavorful!
- Add in 21-25 or so sized peeled and cleaned raw shrimp Shrimp and make this a Shrimp Puttanesca.
- If you can not tolerate the idea of anchovies or anchovy paste, leave them out. Instead add in some of the capers juice.
- Make this recipe your own by adding in (or not) anything you want. Its all about flavor and what you enjoy 🙂
Top or toss with your favorite pasta. Add fresh Parmesan cheese ribbons or grated Parmesan cheese. Don't forget the garlic bread!
Make Shrimp Puttanesca
- To make this Puttanesca with Shrimp, simply add in nice sized shrimp (21-15 or 16-20) that has been peeled and cleaned to the pot when you add in the olives and capers.
- Sauté for a couple of minutes to allow the shrimp to begin to cook through and absorb some of the flavors going on. Then add in the salt, sugar and tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.
Hope you and your family enjoy this recipe for Puttanesca Sauce!
XO Colleen
Recipe originally posted April 2011. Updated August, 2024.
Pasta Recipes to try
Puttanesca Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 TBS olive oil
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 large fresh jalapeno, finely chopped (I used the seeds for heat as well)
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 TBS anchovy paste or flat anchovies 4-6
- ¾ cup haled or chopped black olives or kalamata olives
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup capers
- 28 oz whole or diced tomatoes IF you are not a fan of tomato chunks, use crushed tomatoes.
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt more or less
- 1 teaspoon sugar more or less
Instructions
- In a good sized pot, pour in the olive oil and set over medium heat.
- Add in the onions and jalapeno (if using) and sauté for a few minutes. Just till onions become a little translucent (not browned).
- Add in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, moving it around for about 90 seconds)
- Add in anchovies (or anchovy paste) and mash them a bit with the back of a spoon or spatula, breaking them up (they will end up melting into the sauce)
- Add in the olives and capers, tomatoes, sugar (if adding), salt (if adding) and parsley. Stir till incorporated.
- ***If you are making Shrimp Puttanesca, while sauce simmers grab a frying pan and place 2 TBS oil in it. Once its hot, add in a clove of garlic and your shrimp. Season with S&P and sauté just until shrimp is cooked through. Add shrimp to the pot of sauce just as you take it off of them heat to allow flavors to marry, allow it to sit, stirring occasionally for 5 or more minutes.,
- Bring to a simmer and simmer for 15-20 minutes on low heat. Taste and adjust seasoning. If you have tome for sauce to sit a bit, flavors will deepen.
- Remove from heat and either add pasta to the pot and toss well or top pasta with the sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
carolinaheartstrings says
My mouth is watering just reading the recipe. I can only imagine how yummy this is.
vincent says
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carolijnaheartstrings says
That looks so yummy. It is maknig my mouth water just looking at the picture. Cannot wait to try it.
Anonymous says
That looks so yummy. It is maknig my mouth water just looking at the picture. Cannot wait to try it.