In the Kitchen: Spaghetti Puttanesca

Spaghetti alla puttanesca is a tangy, salty pasta dish that consists of 5 main ingredients typically found in Italian cuisine: tomatoes, olive oil, olives, capers and garlic. This pasta dish is considered a classic, although it has only surfaced recently.

Fun (and somewhat vulgar) fact: puttana literally translates to w***e which makes this dish, spaghetti of the w***e. People have come up with interesting theories about the origin of the name: luring customers in with the smell; the dish can be assembled quickly; can be shared between two clients and so on. There is also the possibility that the name simply comes from another Italian word, puttanata which translates to rubbish. I prefer to think it's from the first root word..makes it more fun :)
It certainly is a very quick and easy recipe as it can be made without fresh ingredients making it a great weekday meal.

We had ours with some grilled chicken and asparagus on the side

To those who don't have much time to cook dinner: we made the sauce ahead of time and just tossed it with the spaghetti afterwards!

I n g r e d i e n t s

500g dried spaghetti
3 cloves of garlic
3 tbsp olive oil
5 tomatoes, dice, or 2 cans of diced tomatoes
50g anchovy fillets, no oil
2 tbsp capers, rinsed
1 tsp dried (or fresh) oregano
1 tsp dried (or fresh) basil
100 g black olives

D i r e c t i o n s

s t e p 1
Cook the spaghetti in salted, boiling water until al dente

s t e p 2
While spaghetti is cooking fry the garlic, capers, olives, anchovies, oregano and basil in a little olive oil on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer on medium high for another 4-5 minutes, until you have a lovely tomato sauce consistency.

s t e p 3
Remove from heat, plunge the drained spaghetti into the sauce, toss it over and cover with the sauce. Rip fresh basil on top (if you are using).

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Wednesday, March 19, 2014

In the Kitchen: Spaghetti Puttanesca