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Pasta alla Puttanesca is one of the boldest, easiest Italian recipes you can make in under 30 minutes. Made with anchovies, capers, black olives, garlic, and tomatoes, this traditional Neapolitan pasta dish is packed with briny, umami flavor—and comes together with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. So what is easier than that?
🇮🇹 Why Is It Called “Pasta alla Puttanesca”?
Legend has it that this dish was created in Naples and became a favorite among prostitute, who were used to eat in between clients as it is quick to make, flavorful and requires basic kitchen staples. Whatever the true origin, one thing is certain—this Mediterranean pasta is absolutely worth making.
Why you will love this recipe
– Quick & Easy: Ready in under 30 minutes—this Neapolitan pasta is perfect for busy weeknights.
– Pantry-Friendly: Uses ingredients you likely have on hand.
–Bold & Flavorful: Anchovies, olives, and capers bring the ultimate umami hit to this pantry pasta recipe.
–Versatile: Serve with spaghetti, linguine, bucatini, or penne—your choice!
Ingredients for Traditional Puttanesca Sauce
The recipe for puttanesca pasta requires the following ingredients:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: use possibly a good brand of medium intensity that will accentuate the tomato-based puttansca sauce.
Anchovy fillet: use 4 to 8. 4 anchovies will melt into the sauce, if you add more you will add layers of deeper flavor, taking the umami to the next level. I suggest to start with 4 and then eventually add more based on your flavor. I recommend this brand. If you want a more upscale version, pick this instead.
Fresh garlic: add 4 to 5 cloves whole to the oil and remove them before adding all the rest of the ingredients.
Red pepper flakes: This is optional, but I recommend it! A teaspoon only will add a gentle kick to the sauce. My go to pantry item is this chili flakes.
Canned whole San Marzano tomatoes – 1 28-ounce can of good San Marzano tomatoes, which are known for their sweetness and mild acidity. Chopped canned tomatoes will also work. My favorite brand is Mutti, since my family has been using it for generations.
Pitted black olives, sliced – Olives add brininess to the puttanesca sauce. I recommend using small Italian olives, if you cannot find them Kalamata will work fine.
Capers – Capers work with the olives to add more flavor and tang. I prefer capers in salt, that I rinse throughly. Capers in vinegar, in my opinion, alter the taste of the dish due to taste of vinegar.
Dried oregano – Adds a touch of earthiness to balance the flavors.
Fresh parsley – A generous ½ cup of chopped parsley is the finishing touch to add color and bright flavor.
Pasta: Traditionally made with spaghetti alla puttanesca, but linguine, bucatini, or penne work too. Quality of pasta matters for the best results of this recipe. Look for 100% durum wheat semolina pasta, a rough, bronze-cut texture (which helps sauce cling), and a light yellow or ivory color (indicating slow drying). Stay away from yellow-orange pasta and those pasta that contains added ingredients, as the results in terms of texture will be rubbery.
The following are among my favorite trusted brands: Marulo, Felicetti, Afeltra.
How to make Spaghetti alla Puttanesca (Step by Step)
To make puttanesca recipe, follow the steps below:
1.Boil the Pasta Water: Place a pot of water on the stove over medium heat and bring it to rooaring boil.
2.Start the Sauce: In a large skillet, heat extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add whole garlic cloves and anchovy fillets. Stir until the anchovies melt into the oil (about 1 minute). Remove garlic.
3.Build Flavor: Add red pepper flakes for heat, chopped olives and capers for saltiness and additional umami. Stir to combine. I like to give the olives a rough chop so they distribute more evenly in the sauce but you can keep them whole if you like.
4.Add Tomatoes: Crush the whole tomatoes by hand or use chopped canned tomatoes. Add to the skillet and simmer for 10–15 minutes. I prefer whole tomatoes as they tend to have more flavor than crushed, but crushed or chopped will work too! Once the tomatoes are in, season the sauce with salt and pepper and let it simmer for a bit. Remember, there are lots of salty ingredients in the sauce already so go easy on the salt!
5.Cook the Pasta: Add salt to the boiling water, and then once dissolved add the pasta. Cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining.
6.Combine: Add drained pasta to the puttanesca sauce, toss well, and add a splash of pasta water to help emulsify and coat.
7.Finish & Serve: Sprinkle generously with chopped parsley. Serve your puttanesca pasta hot and enjoy. Mangia!
More Classic Italian pasta recipes
Mussels Spaghetti with Spicy Cherry Tomatoes
Gemelli Pasta with Leek and Mushrooms
What to serve with Pasta alla Puttanesca
Ideal is a bright salad, or some baked mussels. A bruschetta with peppers, mozzarella and anchovies will also be great to pair it with this recipe.
You can serve this pasta as primi, followed by a sea bream baked.
Puttanesca Pasta Substitution and Variations
You can sub the following:
Black Olives: you can use green olive or a mix of both.
Anchovies: if you do not like anchovies, you can use dried sun-dried tomatoes to add depth of flavor and umami.
Parsley: you can use fresh or dry oregano, or fresh basil.
Canned Tomatoes: you can use fresh tomatoes instead, especially in the summer. Go for San Marzano or Roma variety. You can also use Campari or cherry tomatoes.
In terms of variations, if you want to make this pasta more nutritious you can add some sardines, tuna or salmon to add extra protein. You can use canned fish, that goes with the team of this easy pantry pasta recipe or if you want to elevate your Spaghetti alla Puttanesca, you can use fresh fish.
Which wine to serve with Puttanesca Sauce
Spaghetti alla Puttanesca pairs beautifully with a dry white wine like Pinot Grigio from Friuli or Vespaiolo from Veneto.
These wines enhance the briny, acidic elements of the sauce without overpowering the dish.
If you try this recipe and you liked it, please leave a star review below! I would love to connect with you through my recipe and I will be very appreciative of your comments! If you make this recipe make sure to tag me on Instagram @Italian_kitchen_confessions. To get more ideas follow me on Pinterest.
Ingredients
- ¾ pound spaghetti
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ cup black olives pitted
- ¼ cup capers
- 4 fillet anchovies
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- ½ cup parsley chopped
- 4 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 tbsp sea salt rock
- 1 can tomatoes whole peeled
- ½ tsp dried oregano
Instructions
- Place a pot of water on the stove over medium heat and bring it to rooaring boil.In the meantime make the pasta sauce
- First you’ll heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heatand add 4 to 5 cloves of garlic and 4 anchovy fillets. Stir the anchovies until they’ve almost melted into the oil.
- Add the red pepper flakes. After you’ve cooked the garlic for just about a minute (don’t let it burn!) remove it, and add the olives and capers, stir, and then add the tomatoes.
- Once the tomatoes are in, season the sauce with salt and pepper and let it simmer for a bit. Remember, there are lots of salty ingredients in the sauce already so go easy on the salt!
- Once the water is boiling, add 1 handful of salt, then once dissolved add the pasta and cook it accordingly to the package instructions until “al dente”.
- Reserve half cup of pasta cooking water, drain the pasta and add it to the puttanesca tomato sauce. Add a bit of the pasta cooking water, mix it until well combined and sprinkle it with fresh parsley. Serve it and enjoy it! Mangia!
Nutrition
