geek

Pasta Puttanesca


This recipe originally came from the Silver Palate Cookbook written by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins. I’ve had this cookbook since 1987 and now that I have more resources I don’t use it as much as I once did but I still return to it for many fine recipes. You can tell its one of my most used books because the spine is broken and the pages stick together and are stained. It is a classic.

Puttane is Italian for whore. Don’t type it into Google because … well you can guess. Trust me, you don’t want to go there. Anyway, the book says it isn’t known if the ladies of the night gave this dish its name or it was named after them because it is fast, hot, and spicy. It makes a good story either way. I’ve made a few changes from the original so here’s my version.

Do all the prep work then put the pasta water on to boil. I use Linguine.

6 cloves garlic, chopped
12 pitted black kalamata olives, chopped
1 flat tin of anchovy filets packed in oil, chopped
2 tablespoons capers
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 quart or 32 ounces of ground, peeled tomatoes

Heat 1/4 cup of good extra virgin olive oil on medium low heat. Add the garlic and allow it to heat up but do not allow it to burn…that’s why the heat is medium low. Add the tomatoes and all the other ingredients and turn the heat up to medium to get a boil. Once it boils turn it down to an active simmer (just below a boil) and let it cook down while your pasta cooks. Serve and eat.

I bet you’re thinking…I’m not a big fan of anchovies so I’ll just leave it out. You really can’t taste it because all the ingredients are very powerful. Try it with it…take a chance.

printer-friendly version

October 17, 2006 | Filed Under cookbook, food, pasta, pizza, noodles, vegetable 

comments

Leave a Reply