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Bold, briny, and weeknight-easy, this Pasta Puttanesca is the ultimate pantry pasta. Anchovies melt into olive oil (no fishy flavor!) and team up with garlic, capers, olives, and tomatoes for a sauce that clings beautifully to spaghetti or linguine. In 25 minutes, you get a restaurant-level bowl with just the right heat and a rich finish. I show you exactly how to bloom the aromatics and finish the pasta in the sauce so every strand is coated.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE My Pasta Puttanesca
• Big flavor, tiny effort (pantry staples!)
• 25 minutes, start to finish
• Anchovy-skeptic friendly – flavorful, not fishy
• Easily adjustable heat level
• Scales up for company; leftovers reheat like a dream
There’s nothing I love more than an easy, carb-y, pasta dish when the weather gets chilly. It’s the ultimate comfort food in my opinion and I love to create easy meals with ingredients I can stash in my pantry with pasta being one of the staples I keep on hand always so I can whip up things like Spaghetti Aglio e Olio on the fly.
But pasta doesn’t have much flavor on its own so I’m always looking for ways to punch it up just a bit with minimal effort and that’s when I reach for a can of olives. I snack on olives all the time but they’re also a fantastic way to amp up sauces or, basically, any recipe without breaking a sweat. This easy Pasta Puttanesca recipe is one of those recipes.
Ingredients for Pasta Puttanesca
- Anchovies: Oil-packed anchovy fillets melt into the oil and bring deep savoriness. If you’re worried about “fishy,” trust me, they disappear like magic. Swap with 1 teaspoon white miso and an extra teaspoon caper brine for a vegetarian twist.
- Olives: Kalamata is my favorite for a classic briny snap. Castelvetrano gives a mild, buttery flavor, canned black olives are soft and mellow. Pit (if needed) and chop so the bits cling to the pasta.
- Capers: Brined capers are great, drain and briefly rinse, if desired. Salt-packed capers? Rinse well to avoid over-salting the dish.
- Tomatoes: A 28-oz (800 g) can of crushed tomatoes makes a velvety sauce fast. Whole peeled work, too, hand-crush in the pan or use kitchen shears to chop them in the can. Optional, 1 Tablespoon tomato paste adds body.
- Heat: Start with 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, add more to bump up to taste at the end.
- Pasta: Spaghetti or linguine are ideal. Reserve a full cup of starchy water to emulsify the sauce.
- Garnishes: Parsley for freshness. A pat of butter at the end is non-traditional but rounds out the sauce and balances if you went heavy on “briny.”
For the full ingredient list and instructions, see the recipe card below.
How To Make Puttanesca
It’s so easy to make this easy Puttanesca sauce, cook the pasta while you make the sauce:
- Start the sauce. Warm olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, anchovies, and red pepper flakes; stir until the anchovies dissolve and the garlic is fragrant (no browning).
- Layer the flavors. Add capers and olives; sizzle 30-60 seconds to bloom their flavor.
- Sauce time: Stir in tomatoes (and tomato paste if using). Simmer 10-12 minutes until slightly thickened and glossy. Taste for heat and salt.
- Cook pasta: Boil in well-salted water. Reserve at least 1 cup pasta water.
- Finish in the sauce (key step!): Transfer pasta to the pan with the simmering sauce. Toss, adding splashes of pasta water until the sauce turns glossy and clings to every strand.
- Serve: Stir in parsley. Taste and balance with more pepper flakes for heat, a splash of brine for brightness, or a small knob of butter for richness. Serve immediately.
Kellie’s tips for the best pasta puttanesca
• Rich, stick-to-your-ribs sauce. Add pasta water gradually while tossing over heat.
• Salt balance lives in the ingredients. Taste before adding extra salt (anchovies, capers, olives all bring some brine).
• Chop ingredients small. Little olive and caper bits stick to noodles better than big chunks.
• If it’s too salty. Add more tomatoes or a splash of plain pasta water and a tablespoon of unsalted butter.
• Make it family-friendly. Start with 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, then pass more at the table to finish before serving.
What To Serve With It
I like to serve up a light house salad and some crusty bread with olive oil for dipping. This easy Wedge Salad is a favorite as are these easy popovers or Easy Homemade Garlic Bread for sopping up the remaining sauce on your plate.
Add a big of crunch with these easy Parmesan Crisps, too!
Make Ahead, Storage and Reheating
• Make-ahead: Puttanesca Sauce base keeps 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat, then finish with fresh pasta and parsley.
• Store: Refrigerate leftover pasta puttanesca up to 3 days in an airtight container.
• Reheat: Warm gently with a splash of water or olive oil to loosen.
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Easy Pasta Puttanesca Recipe
Equipment
- skillet
- chef's knife
- Strainer
- stock pot
- cutting board
- measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- can opener
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti, or linguine
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional, adjust to taste
- 1 tablespoon anchovy paste or miso paste, for an allergy friendly version
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes, or diced
- 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata or black olives, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained
- 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- Optional garnish: Grated Parmesan and extra olive oil for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and anchovies. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring often, until the garlic is fragrant and the anchovies dissolve into the oil.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, olives, capers, and oregano. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should thicken slightly and develop deep, rich flavors.
- Add the drained pasta directly into the sauce and toss to coat. If the sauce is too thick, stir in a bit of the reserved pasta water (a few tablespoons at a time) until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper (remember, anchovies, olives, and capers are salty, so you might not need much salt). Sprinkle with fresh parsley and drizzle with a little more olive oil. Serve immediately, with grated Parmesan if desired.
Notes
• Vegetarian variation: Replace anchovies with 1 teaspoon white miso plus 1-2 teaspoon caper or olive brine.
• Olive profile: For milder flavor use Castelvetrano; for classic briny pop use Kalamata.
• Extra-briny lovers: Add up to 3/4 cup (115 g) olives total.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
