Pasta alla Puttanesca
Legend has it that the harlots in and around Naples made this dish to lure in hungry men. Here is how I like to prepare this delicious and slightly spicy, sweet and sour dish.
Ingredients
- 1 can San Marzano whole tomatoes (28 oz), crushed by hand
- 1 cup currants
- ½ cup salt-packed capers, rinsed and dried
- 1 cup oil-cured black olives
- ½ cup pine nuts
- 1 cup dry white wine
- Salt & pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 2-3 tablespoons hot pepper or chili flakes
- 3 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
- 1 pound best quality linguine or spaghetti
Instructions
- Make basic tomato sauce: heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high. Add garlic, sauté until soft but not brown. Turn off heat, wait 30 seconds.
- Add crushed tomatoes, bring to a boil, then simmer 25-30 minutes, adding salt along the way.
- In another large pan, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over high heat. Add capers, pine nuts, olives, and currants. Sauté 1 minute.
- Add chili flakes, stir. Deglaze with white wine, cook 1 minute.
- Add the reserved tomato sauce and stir everything together. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes.
- Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente.
- Pour pasta into a large bowl and ladle in sauce, tossing with tongs to dress like a salad. Serve immediately.
💡 James' Tip
The combination of currants, pine nuts, and capers gives this dish its signature sweet-sour-salty flavor profile. Don't skip the currants — they're essential!
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