Spaghetti alla puttanesca
Knock-out dish from storecupboard staples. Classic southern Italian pasta said to have been made in the brothels of Sicily to attract visitors!
Servings
4people
Cook Time
25minutes
Servings
4people
Cook Time
25minutes
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil.
  2. Slice the olives. Wash, deseed and finely chop the chilli. Peel and bash the garlic. Rinse and finely chop the parsley.
  3. Rinse the capers and anchovy fillets in a sieve under running water and pat dry with kitchen paper. Roughly chop the anchovies.
  4. Roughly chop the tomatoes.
  5. Heat the oil in a large shallow pan. Add the garlic, anchovies and chilli. Cook for 2 minutes. Mash the anchovies to a paste with the help of a fork.
  6. Add the tomatoes, capers and olives. Stir and cook for 2 minutes on a medium heat.
  7. Season with salt and add 1 tablespoon chopped parsley. Turn the heat down and simmer for 10 minutes.
  8. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti as directed on the packet.
  9. Drain the pasta and toss it into the pan with the sauce. Stir-fry for a minute or two, sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes

This Italian classic, made almost entirely from store cupboard staples is rich in antioxidant micronutrients and healthy fats. One of the most popular theories about the origin of the colourful name of this easy dish - literally ‘whore’s style spaghetti’ – is that it was prepared in the brothels of Sicily to attract visitors. True or not, the dish certainly has the hallmark of robust southern Italian cooking: chilli, tomato and olive oil.