The Most Delicious Spaghetti alla Puttanesca Recipe You'll Ever Try

Jump to Recipe

If you like to be both cozy and very bold all at once – then step right up to this plate. My Spaghetti alla Puttanesca recipe (or any pasta puttanesca) is just ridiculously awesome stuff. It is not subtle, nor is it even remotely shy. It’s definitely not for those who are flavor averse, or who tend to be timid when it comes to trying strong ingredients (anchovies, olives, capers, etc.).

In This Post

But even if you think of yourself that way, I’d say go ahead and give it a try. The heady mix of humble pantry ingredients sings one helluva song when all is said and done. This is a classic for a reason, y’all. And my version is pretty great – I’m perfectly comfortable bragging about it here – and I really think you’ll love it.

What is Puttanesca sauce?

Invented in the mid-20th century Spaghetti alla Puttanesca is a Napolese style sauce that is the very opposite of subtle or shy. She’s bold and beautiful, and a true pantry all-star. Due to the fact that we’re using several brined/cured ingredients here (think anchovies, capers, and olives), we don’t really need to add much salt as we’re cooking. That’s one of my best tips for this Spaghetti alla Puttanesca recipe, actually. If you take care to properly season your pasta water, ensuring it tastes great all by itself, you will hardly need any extra salt in your sauce.

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca recipe FAQ’s

Where is Puttanesca from?

Puttanesca sauce was created in Naples, Italy in the mid 20th century.

What does “Puttanesca” mean?

The word, “Puttanesca,” translates to “in the style of the whore,” in Italian. The recipe’s name comes from the Italian word, “puttana,” which means whore, or “lady of the night,” if we’re being polite.

Why is puttanesca sauce named after whores?

As is so often the case with culinary origin stories, Puttanesca boasts more than one. Some say that, since the dish’s Latin “putida” origins mean “stinking,” the name likely stemmed from how the bold and beckoning aromas of the dish would lure men in to the whore houses, right off the street. Others say that the dish got its name because it’s very quick and easy. So, there you go.

What does Puttanesca taste like?

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca tastes like the most bold and intense tomato sauce you’ve ever tried. In addition two two kinds of tomatoes (paste and peeled whole canned), there are capers, anchovies, olives, and peppers going on as well. It is briny and acidic, garlicky and so very flavorful. This is no simple, subtle pasta sauce and it’s not really for those who prefer bland, timid flavors.

What does Pasta Puttanesca sauce go with?

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca is a true-blue pantry superstar, as it combines flavorful-yet-humble ingredients that most Italian cooks would have at any given time. Olives, anchovies, canned tomatoes and tomato paste, garlic, and onions – to name some of the classic components of a Puttanesca sauce. Because it is so bold and flavorful, I think it is best when served with bread for sopping up any extra sauce. I also like a cold and crunchy salad on the side as well.

What to serve with Spaghetti alla Puttanesca?

These giant Parker House rolls would be a very special thing to sidle up alongside this pasta, as would these cute little garlic butter bubble bread bites. I also like a cold and crunchy salad on the side as well. As for wine to serve with this Spaghetti alla Puttanesca recipe, here’s a good resource from Food and Wine for you.

What ingredients are in Spaghetti alla Puttanesca?

I do a couple of small things to my Spaghetti all Puttanesca recipe that (I think) make it just a little better than your average pot of the stuff. Namely? The balsamic glaze that stands as the base for everything. Its sweetness comes in to fight back against the grand acidity of all those tomatoes, along with the salty briny flavors of the olives and capers.

Lastly, I add a good knob of butter to the pan just at the end. This is not traditional, just my own touch. A nod to Marcella Hazan’s famous three-ingredient tomato sauce, the butter shares the responsibility of the balsamic, in that it’s there to temper all of the abrasive ingredients that might otherwise be overly harsh. It’s so great in this Spaghetti alla Puttanesca, and you shouldn’t skip it!

Spaghetti: This sauce recipe makes lots – enough to coat and serve with a full pound of spaghetti. But if you make say, 3/4 of the 1-lb. package (as I often do to prevent waste/leftovers for my family of 4), you’ll end up with extra sauce at the end. Or, VERY saucy noodles – which is A-Okay with me. This is great with other cuts of pasta as well. I like it best with long noodles, such as linguini, fettucinni, tagliatelle, and spaghetti. But it’s great with short noodles as well. Ziti, penne, even farfalle will all work great. This pasta alla puttanesca recipe doesn’t need to use spaghetti at all, if you’d prefer something else. Noodle as you like!

Onion: We need aromatics and we need them now. In this saucy mix, we’ll get them by way of an onion (a sweet onion/yellow onion) and a whole mess of garlic. Don’t worry about exactly how big your onion is, just grab a small-to-medium yellow or sweet onion and you’ll be golden.

Garlic: The point of this sauce is to be sort of extra, so we need to make sure every ingredient shows up. Garlic is the heart and soul of So many Italian and Italian-American recipes, and this Spaghetti alla Puttanesca recipe is no exception. I say, go big here and use no less than 4 big cloves (well minced) in your sauce. But if you’d like to add more, go for it!

Balsamic Vinegar: This isn’t traditional but man it’s good here. For me, a spaghetti alla puttanesca recipe runs the risk of being too acidic or aggressive, what with all of the loud ingredients going on inside. As such, I am pretty intentional with how I build my sauce. By adding a good glug of fruity balsamic vinegar at the start of things, we’ll create a sweet glaze that will help temper that acid and brine all the way through. It’s a good trick, y’all.

Capers: Classic and traditional, you wouldn’t really have a classic Spaghetti alla Puttanesca ecipe without them. Capers are briny little “berries,” related to gooseberries, and there’s nothing that really tastes quite like them. If you’re looking for extra ways to use up the rest of that jar, I’ve got you. Try my Crispy Skin Chicken Piccata with Giant Croutons or my favorite buttery salmon with lemon and capers. Both are absolute rockstar recipes.

Olives: You’ve gotta have them or you won’t have a true Spaghetti alla Puttanesca recipe on your hands. That said, I think you should use any kind of olive you really enjoy. Black and buttery? Okay, cool. Sharp and briny like Kalamata? YES. Or, maybe something kind of in the middle, such as Castelvetrano? Love this (this is what’s pictured here).

Sweet cherry peppers: This is yet another spin on mine, as you’ll usually see a hot pepper of some sort being used in a Spaghetti all Puttanesca recipe. But to my major point here, I’m always looking for ways to balance out aggressive flavors. So, instead of using a hot and spicy pepper, I reach for a jar of the sweet Italian ones (such as Mezzetta or Cento). These are great and any leftovers can be added to sandwiches and salads. Easy peasy.

Tomato Paste: Classic in a spaghetti alla puttanesca recipe, we’ll go ahead and use the whole 4-ounce can of the stuff because I hate having a little leftover. May as well use the whole thing, right?

Whole canned tomatoes: You could use crushed or diced and be totally fine, but for my money, I always use whole peeled tomatoes in my Italian pasta sauces. The rustic and perfectly imperfect texture you get is so lovely – it looks homemade. Just be careful when you squeeze them as they will squirt their juices near and far. Just watch out for that.

Butter: Again, not a traditional ingredient in a spaghetti alla puttanesca recipe, but the sauce is all the better for it, trust me. And this isn’t because butter makes just about everything better. It’s because the fat and creamy nature of butter helps to balance the bracingly acidic qualities of a classic puttanesca sauce. It seals the deal, here.

How to make this Spaghetti alla Puttanesca recipe

This Spaghetti alla Puttanesca recipe is actually pretty quick to whip up. There’s not a lot of prep time required of you, which we love. You’ll mostly be opening jars and cans of things from your pantry and dumping them into the pan. You will need to chop an onion and lots of garlic. A few anchovies will get a little chop as well. But this is a very easy and quick recipe to make, all told.

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca recipe DIRECTIONS

Cook the pasta in salted water (like the sea) until al dente (with just a small bite left). Save a cup of the pasta water before draining. You can toss the noodles with olive oil to prevent them from sticking if you like.
Meanwhile, add a couple tablespoons of olive oil to a large, skillet set over medium heat. Sauté the onions, capers, and Italian seasoning until tender; about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cherry peppers, and cook about 30 seconds.
Add the balsamic and let it simmer for a few minutes, so it can thicken and reduce (creating a glaze of sorts). Add the tomato paste and cook for a few minutes to caramelize and knock the rawness out of it. Season with salt and pepper (not too much salt).
Add the tomatoes and, using either your hand or your cooking tool, break them up so they sort of melt and merge into the sauce (careful though, they will spray their juices). Let your pretty sauce simmer away for about 10 minutes so the flavors can get to know each other.
Turn off the heat and add the olives and butter, stirring to combine and melt it all together. Taste it now, and season to your liking. To serve, you’ll want to toss your cooked spaghetti (or whatever pasta) in the pan with the sauce. You likely won’t need any of your reserved pasta water, but now’s the time to use it if you want to thin things out at all. Plate the saucy noodles and shower with grated parmesan and fresh basil if you like. Enjoy!