Spaghetti Puttanesca

Spaghetti puttanesca is a bold, punchy Italian pasta made mostly from pantry staples: canned tomatoes, garlic, olives, capers, anchovies and chili, simmered into a quick sauce and tossed with spaghetti. It’s ready in about 25 minutes and serves 4. Using whole wheat spaghetti and plenty of tomatoes makes it a high-fiber meal, with nearly 14 g of fiber and 16 g of protein per serving. Because olives, capers and anchovies are salty, there’s no need to add salt to the sauce, and a few simple swaps bring the sodium down further.

• Serves: 4
• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 15 to 20 minutes
• Total time: about 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 320 g (11 oz) whole wheat spaghetti
• 1½ tablespoons (20 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 6 anchovy fillets in oil (about 30 g), drained and chopped
• ½ to 1 teaspoon chili flakes, or 1 small fresh chili, chopped
• 2 cans (400 g each) chopped tomatoes
• 80 g (½ cup) pitted black or Kalamata olives, halved
• 2 tablespoons (20 g) capers, rinsed
• A small handful of parsley, chopped
• Black pepper

Method

1. Start the pasta. Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the spaghetti and cook for 1 minute less than the packet suggests. Use little or no salt in the water, as the sauce is already salty.
2. Make the base. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, anchovies and chili and cook gently for 2 minutes, stirring, until the anchovies melt into the oil and the garlic is golden but not brown.
3. Add the tomatoes. Pour in the canned tomatoes, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
4. Add the olives and capers and simmer for 2 more minutes. Season with black pepper.
5. Combine. Drain the pasta, keeping a cup of the cooking water. Add the spaghetti to the sauce and toss well over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, adding a splash of pasta water if it looks dry.
6. Serve sprinkled with parsley.

Tips

• Don’t skip the anchovies if you eat fish: they dissolve into the sauce and give depth rather than a fishy taste.
• Rinse capers to remove some of the salt.
• Use good canned tomatoes: they make or break this sauce.
• Save pasta water: its starch helps the sauce cling to the spaghetti.
• Taste before adding salt; most people won’t need any.

Swaps and variations

• Vegetarian or vegan: leave out the anchovies and add a tablespoon of chopped sun-dried tomatoes or a pinch of seaweed flakes for savory depth.
• Tuna: stir in a can of tuna, drained, with the olives for extra protein.
• More vegetables: add sliced peppers, zucchini or a few handfuls of spinach.
• Lower salt: use half the olives and capers and choose reduced-salt canned tomatoes.
• Gluten-free: use gluten-free spaghetti.
• Lower carb: serve the sauce over zucchini noodles. Our guide to keto pasta alternatives has more ideas.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

One serving is a quarter of the recipe. These figures were calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for cooked whole grain spaghetti, canned tomatoes, ripe olives, capers, canned anchovies, garlic, olive oil, red chili and parsley.

This is a high-fiber, plant-forward meal, with most of the fat coming from olive oil and olives. The main thing to watch is salt: olives, capers and anchovies are all preserved in brine or salt. Adults are advised to have no more than 6 g of salt a day, about 2.4 g of sodium, according to the NHS, so one serving provides about a third. The lower-salt swaps above can cut that noticeably. Tomatoes provide lycopene, potassium and vitamin C; our article on whether pasta is healthy explains how to build a balanced pasta meal.

Contains: wheat (gluten) and fish (anchovies).

Storage and reheating

Cool leftovers quickly and refrigerate within 2 hours. Eat within 3 to 4 days, as the USDA advises, and reheat until steaming hot with a splash of water. The sauce on its own freezes well for up to 3 months.

What to serve with it

• A large green salad with a lemon dressing.
• Steamed broccoli or green beans.
• Our sun-dried tomato and walnut salad.

A pantry dinner

Puttanesca comes from southern Italy and is built almost entirely from things that keep in the cupboard: canned tomatoes, olives, capers, anchovies, garlic, chili and dried pasta. That makes it a good recipe for the end of the week, when the fridge is nearly empty. Because the olives, capers and anchovies are already salty, the sauce needs no extra salt. Taste it before seasoning, and cook the pasta in only lightly salted water. Whole wheat spaghetti is the main reason this version has nearly 14 g of fiber per serving, about half of what most adults are advised to eat in a day.

Cooking the pasta

Use plenty of boiling water and save a mug of the cooking water before you drain. A splash of the starchy water loosens the sauce and helps it cling to every strand. Whole wheat spaghetti can go from firm to soft quickly, so start tasting two minutes before the packet time. Toss the drained pasta in the pan with the sauce for a minute over low heat, rather than spooning sauce on top, so it coats the pasta evenly.

Common questions

What does puttanesca taste like?

Salty, savory, tangy and a little spicy, from the olives, capers, anchovies and chili.

Can I make it without anchovies?

Yes. The sauce will be less savory, so add a few sun-dried tomatoes or a little extra garlic.

Is whole wheat pasta worth it?

It has more than twice the fiber of white pasta and a nuttier taste. Mixing half white and half whole wheat is a good way to get used to it.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Nutrition figures are estimates from USDA FoodData Central and will change with the brands and amounts you use. If you follow a diet for a medical reason, check the recipe with your doctor or dietitian.