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Italian 20 min Easy
Spaghetti Puttanesca
Bold pasta with tomatoes, olives, capers and garlic.
Origin & Story
Puttanesca is a punchy Neapolitan sauce, famously thrown together from cupboard staples. Its salty, savoury depth comes from olives and capers.
Main Spices & Their Role
Chilli flakes
Brings the signature heat.
Black pepper
Rounds out the sauce.
Ingredients
- 200g spaghetti
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
- 2 garlic cloves
- Handful olives, sliced
- 1 tbsp capers
- 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- Parsley
Method
- 01
Cook spaghetti until al dente.
- 02
Soften garlic and chilli flakes in olive oil.
- 03
Add olives, capers and tomatoes; simmer 12 minutes.
- 04
Toss the drained pasta through the sauce.
- 05
Finish with parsley and serve.
Veg & Vegan Alternatives
Vegetarian
Already vegetarian — traditional recipes add anchovy, so simply leave it out (as done here).
Vegan
Already vegan in this version; a dash of soy sauce restores the savoury depth of the omitted anchovy.