When you’re craving Italian comfort food, pasta puttanesca is the perfect recipe! The flavorful puttanesca sauce features olives, anchovies, capers, tons of minced garlic, and red pepper flakes. Pair with garlic bread, a Caesar salad, and wine for the ultimate Italian pasta dinner.

Pasta puttanesca is one of my absolute favorite dinners! I’ve made this recipe so many times I could make it with my eyes closed. I make it for Christmas eve, dinner parties, girls night, and just because we’re craving it.

In all honesty, I’ve probably made this Italian pasta sauce over 500 times. And I hope I get to make it another 500 more! You can pair any pasta shape with this puttanesca sauce. But I love spaghetti or a tube shape that will catch the capers and olives.

Why you’ll Love Pasta Puttanesca…

• Bright and briny, the puttanesca sauce is slightly spicy bursting with flavor!
• Pairs great with classic spaghetti or any pasta shape your heart desires.
• Packed with delicious ingredients like anchovies, capers, and olives. Even my friends who hate anchovies love this recipe!
• Just a little bit spicy thanks to crushed red pepper flakes. Scale up or down on the spiciness.
• Herbs like chopped parsley and basil add freshness to the Italian pasta sauce.
• Ready in less than 30 minutes, it’s a quick pasta sauce you can whip up for dinner any night of the week.
• Make the puttanesca sauce up to 48 hours in advance! Store it in the fridge, then briefly rewarm while the pasta cook. Mix the pasta in the sauce and dig in!

What does Puttanesca Mean? 

The word puttanesca – short for alla puttanesca – literally translates to “in the style of a prostitute”. History depicts that women in the bordellos created this delicious pasta dish in Naples. But don’t let that little fact scare you away from making this absolutely delicious Italian pasta recipe!

The pasta sauce alone is to-die-for delicious! Layered with olives, anchovies, and capers… it’s exploding with flavor. And comes together quickly – in about the same time it takes to get the pasta water boiling.

This delicious puttanesca is perfect for weeknight meals, date-night, or your next dinner party! Just don’t be surprised if people leave your house begging you for this puttanesca recipe.

Italian Pasta Puttanesca Sauce: Ingredients

• Pasta: There’s enough pasta sauce to coat 1 pound of pasta. My preference is a thin spaghetti, but almost any variety will work with this pasta sauce. Penne, rigatoni, and thick spaghetti are other favorite pasta shapes for the puttanesca sauce.
• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: The large amount of extra virgin olive oil may sound odd. But it gives the puttanesca sauce a delicious richness. I don’t suggest using any other variety of oil.
• Yellow Onion: A white onion or even shallots will work in a pinch, but I don’t suggest using red onion for this pasta sauce.
• Anchovy Filets: Please don’t fear this delicious – and essential – ingredient! Garlic and anchovies are what makes this sauce so flavorful. Without anchovies, you’d need to add a lot more salt to the sauce as well.
• Dried Oregano: If you have fresh oregano on hand, feel free to use it! But dried oregano works just fine.
• Red Pepper Flakes: Use less red pepper flakes for a mild heat – and more for a spicer puttanesca sauce. The amount of red pepper flakes called for will give you a medium heat.
• Garlic: I know 8 garlic cloves sounds like a lot of minced garlic, but this large amount builds the flavor.
• Kalamata Olives: I don’t suggest subbing any other variety of black olives in this recipe. For ease, be sure to buy the ones already pitted.
• Capers: Be sure to drain them well, and give them a quick rinse, if you prefer a less salty sauce.
• Dry White Wine: Chicken broth makes a fine substitute for the wine. Or, you can use red wine.
• Crushed Tomatoes with Basil: Do not sub whole plum or diced tomatoes here. I like using San Marzano tomatoes, but use your favorite brand.
• Salt and Pepper: I suggest starting light with the salt, and adding more to taste. Ingredients like anchovy fillets, black olives and capers – are already quite salty. If you reduce the amount of olives, capers, or anchovies, add salt as needed.
• Chopped Basil: Be sure to use fresh herbs, not dried basil or parsley! And buy enough to garnish with, if desired.
• Chopped Parsley: Ditto what’s said above. Never use dried herbs in this recipe. The results will not be the same.

How to Make Best Puttanesca Sauce

1. Boil the Pasta Water: To save time, bring a large pot of water to a boil while you make your sauce. That way the pasta water is ready when you are. Add a dash of salt to the boiling water before you add the pasta.
2. Make the Puttanesca Pasta Sauce: This Italian pasta sauce comes together quickly! I like to let it simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes. You don’t want to let it cook much longer or it becomes dry. I like a saucy pasta alla puttanesca.
3. Boil the Pasta: You’ll want to cook your pasta until it’s al dente. This means it still has a little bite to it. Check the pasta package for their suggested “doneness” and set a timer for 1 minute earlier than they suggest. Mushy pasta will ruin this puttanesca sauce.
4. Drain the pasta: After the pasta finishes cooking, reserve at least 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta well. The reserved salted water will help thin the pasta sauce and adds great flavor.
5. Combine: Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir to coat the noodles. Slowly drizzle in the reserved pasta water, mixing as you add it, and letting it fully absorb before adding more. Add as much as you want, until the sauce is the thickness you desire.
6. Serve: Remove from heat and divide the pasta among shallow pasta bowls. I suggest serving pasta puttanesca with garlic knots and extra crushed red pepper flakes.
7. Leftovers: Lucky enough to have leftovers? Transfer fully cooked pasta to an airtight container and place in the fridge for up to 3 days.

And of course, a simple side-salad and a glass or two of wine never hurts!

Can I Make Pasta Puttanesca in Advance?

• Yes, to save time, you can always make the puttanesca pasta sauce in advance. Simply let it fully cool, then transfer it to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.
• When you’re ready to eat, reheat the sauce on the stovetop or in the microwave, and combine with freshly cooked pasta.
• I don’t suggest freezing this sauce. The olives and capers will get mushy.

More Puttanesca Recipes:

• Baked Cod Puttanesca
• Fresh Tomato Pasta Puttanesca
• Puttanesca Poached Eggs
• Linguini Clam Puttanesca 
• Tomato and Tuna Spaghetti Puttanesca

If you’re looking to up your Italian pasta game, try this puttanesca sauce asap! The perfect easy pasta sauce for date night, dinner with friends, or for special celebrations. If you love anchovies, capers, and olives, you will absolutely love this pasta sauce.

Pinky swear! It’s so good you don’t even need Parmesan cheese for this Italian pasta.

Puttanesca Pasta Recipe

Ashley Manila

When you're craving Italian comfort food, puttanesca pasta is the perfect recipe! The flavorful puttanesca sauce features anchovy fillets, tons of minced garlic, red pepper flakes, black olives, and capers. Pair with garlic bread, a simple salad, and wine for the ultimate Italian dinner.

5 from 11 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

 

• 1 pound (454g) dried pasta
• 1/4 cup (57ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup yellow onion diced
• 8 cloves garlic minced
• 1 2-ounce tin flat anchovy fillets in olive oil drained
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes more or less, to taste
• 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives roughly chopped
• 3 tablespoons capers drained
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with basil
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 Tablespoons flat-leaf parsley chopped
• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt more if needed

Instructions

 

• Warm the oil in a large saucepan over medium-heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add in the garlic, anchovies, oregano, and crushed pepper to skillet and saute the mixture until the anchovies have dissolved entirely and the garlic is slightly golden, about 2 minutes.
• Add olives, capers, tomatoes, white wine, black pepper, and parsley. Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat, and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes. Toss in the basil and salt and cook for another 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. 
• While the sauce simmers, cook your pasta. 
• Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil, add a dash of salt then add in the pasta and cook according to package instructions. 
• When the pasta is finished cooking, drain well then add it to the sauce and toss to combine.
• Plate and top with cheese, if desired. 

Keyword pasta, pasta recipes, Italian food, puttanesca

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