Anchovy, garlic, capers, green olives
Essentially, this sauce is puttancesa bianco – Napoli’s famed pasta dish but without the tomato.
Spaghetti puttanesca translates to ‘spaghetti in the style of prostitutes’ and there are almost
as many stories about the origin of this dish as there are ways to make it. My favourite is that
the pungent aromas of the anchovy, garlic and olives tossed through the pasta were how the
Neapolitan prostitutes lured customers to their doors. Another, based on the fact that this dish
can be made entirely with ingredients kept in your pantry, is that it was made by prostitutes
for a quick meal, in between their engagements.
The traditional recipe uses tomatoes, which you are welcome to add. I prefer canned
tomatoes – add one 400 g can of whole peeled tomatoes after the capers and olives and cook
for an extra 10–15 minutes. Either route, this dish is a kick, punch and a pow of avours, which
I¬suppose is why it was the dish of choice for Neapolitan ladies of the night.
Serves 2
3 tablespoons extra-virgin
oliveoil
40 g (½ cup) fresh breadcrumbs
pinch of chilli akes
sea salt
6 anchovy llets
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tablespoons baby capers,
rinsed and drained
60 g (±⁄³ cup) pitted green
Sicilian olives, nely chopped
3 oregano sprigs, leaves picked
zest of 1 lemon
FRESH PASTA FOR 2
pici, linguine
DRIED PASTA FOR 2
bucatini, spaghetti
142
Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons
of the olive oil, the breadcrumbs, chilli akes and a pinch of
salt. Sauté for 3–5 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden
and crisp, then remove from the pan and set aside. This will be
your garnish.
Bring a large saucepan of water to a lively boil and season
moderately (you have plenty of salt in the sauce). Add the
pasta and cook until molto al dente (see page 89), reserving
125 ml (½cup) of the cooking water. We’re going to nish the
pasta in the sauce so ensure it still has that all-important bite.
If you decide to add a can of tomatoes to your sauce, get the
sauce going before you cook the pasta.
Return the frying pan to the stovetop and set over low heat.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the anchovy
llets and slowly sauté for about 1 minute, until the anchovies
start to dissolve. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute –
you want to soften the garlic, but take care not to burn it. Add
the capers and olives and sauté for 2 minutes – the smell should
be intoxicating. You can add tomatoes at this point if you desire.
If so, cook the sauce for a further 10–15 minutes, until reduced
and thickened.
Using tongs, transfer your cooked pasta directly to the sauce,
along with the oregano leaves and lemon zest. Toss everything
together with a rm hand. If the sauce needs further loosening,
add a splash of the pasta cooking water. Cook, stirring, for about
1 minute, until everything is nicely combined, then remove from
the heat.
Divide the pasta between bowls and serve with the chilli-spiked
breadcrumbs showered over the top.