Pasta Puttanesca with Linguine

Quick and easy Pasta Puttanesca is on the table in just 20 minutes! Made with easy to find pantry ingredients like California Ripe Olives, this classic Italian dinner is a hit with the whole family.

Pasta Puttanesca

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.

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 California Ripe 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.

I recently had an opportunity to visit an olive grove in Fresno, California and it was everything I hoped it would be….AND more! First, don’t you think an olive tree is just the most magical and beautiful tree ever? Plus, it bears one of the best snacks I can think of.

More About Olives

BUT did you know most of the magic of olives is in the curing process because grabbing an olive straight off the tree and popping it into your mouth is not a pleasant experience unless you like bitterness that makes you rethink that action within .5 seconds.

I learned so much on my trip besides the fact that my dreams of eating an olive straight from the tree were crushed with one single bite. Like….95% of the olives consumed in the US are grown in California and there are predominantly two types of olives that you’re eating from the can.

Sevillano, which are the extra-large jumbo olives (my fave for snacking), and Manzanillo, the smaller olives (which I use in most of my recipes).

Olive trees really are quite magical in that they have minimal pests and predators…..AND they also require low water usages so they’re surprisingly drought tolerant. (to a point.) The grove we visited is approximately 38 years old and their trees start producing around 3 years old.

After the trees are harvested (A majority of olives are harvested BY HAND!), they’re taken to the processing facility where they’re cured with a lye solution to leach out the bitterness and then rinsed thoroughly …..before being pitted and canned.

Because olives are a low acid fruit, the FDA required more stringent regulations to ensure the risk of contamination is not an issue. This is all to make sure the consumers are able to safely consume all the olives they want….whenever they want. (which for me is every single day.)

And that’s why I’ve been in the kitchen whipping up things like this Easy Pasta Puttanesca with my favorite black olives. They’re my go-to for so many easy recipes because they add a saltiness that can’t be duplicated any other way.

What is Puttanesca Sauce made of?

For my Pasta Puttanesca Sauce, I grabbed the most readily available pantry ingredients I could find…including my favorite California Ripe Olives.

• Olive oil
• California Black Ripe Olives
• Capers
• Anchovies
• Garlic
• Parmesan Cheese
• Basil
• Oregano
• Canned Plum Tomatoes
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• Pasta

That’s it….everything ( but the cheese) is pretty shelf stable and when I have fresh basil and oregano on hand I use that instead of dried. The flavor can’t be beat!

How To Make It

It’s so easy to make this easy Puttanesca sauce, cook the pasta while you make the sauce:

1. Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Stir in the garlic, anchovies, capers and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the olives and tomatoes to the pan. Bring to a boil. Stir in the cheese, basil, oregano and pasta tossing to combine.
4. Add 1 cup of the pasta water to the sauce.
5. Serve immediately with extra cheese, olives, and herbs, if desired.

Is Puttanesca Sauce spicy?

That really depends on you….if you don’t like spice you can leave out the red pepper flakes but on occasion I get a little heavy handed with the pepper.

If you have family members who are sensitive to heat you can just leave it out and serve it at the table. You do you.

What To Serve With It

I like to serve up a light green salad and some crusty bread with olive oil for dipping. This easy Wedge Salad is a favorite as are these easy popovers for sopping up the remaining sauce on your plate.

Add a big of crunch with these easy Parmesan Crisps, too!

More Easy Pasta Recipes

• 15 Minute Caprese Pasta Skillet
• 25 Minute Meat Sauce with pasta
• Cheesy Taco Pasta Skillet with Black Olives
• Spaghetti Aglio e Olio // Video
• Penne Pomodoro

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