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This is the most assertive Penne Puttanesca sauce recipe on the internet today! It packs a powerful punch thanks to copious amounts of anchovy, garlic, capers, olives, white wine, oregano and red pepper simmered in crushed tomatoes. Mild food, this is not!
I have such distinct memories of the first time that I made and ate this pasta. It actually isn’t a dish I grew up eating, but rather learned of it in one of my earliest pasta cookbooks. The combined pungent flavors of anchovies, capers, olives, garlic, white wine, chili flakes, oregano and tomatoes–some of my favorite ingredients–just drew me in and I was hooked . . . which, supposedly, is where the name comes from!
Over the years, I refined my recipe to this very pungent version which, according to my cousin Martin, is quite “assertive”. (He said as he asked for seconds…)
One of the keys to this classic Italian recipe’s greatness (as with most pasta recipes) is to finish cooking the pasta in the savory, umami-rich sauce so that it absorbs all its wonderful flavors. Do not skip this step!
More Recipes with Capers and Olives: Sicilian Caponata, Tuna Pasta with Pesto and Chickpeas, Quick and Easy Sautéed Calamari, Peperonata (Italian Sauteed Bell Peppers)
So many puttanesca sauce recipe out there are nothing more than a regular tomato sauce + olives + capers. **Yawn**
This recipe, on the other hand, is a symphony of flavors that come together in the most harmonious, bold way. It only takes one bite to recognize that this is no ordinary tomato sauce.
***If you love strong flavors, then you will love this penne alla puttanesca!***
By the way, for something a little different, check out this pickle puttanesca pasta recipe that trades the typical capers for dill pickles!
For a little background, “pasta alla puttanesca” translates to “prostitute’s pasta”. One legend says that it is so called because it was easily and quickly prepared in-between clients, while another says that its seductive aroma was used to lure potential clients! This recipe hails from the southern Italian region of Naples (Napoli).
Whatever the origin, this dish is a winner for sure.
The best part? It’s ready in only thirty minutes and made 100% with Italian pantry staples.
Yes, this version of puttanesca pasta may be a bit “extra”, but it’s hard to resist after one bite.
And, while you could cut back on the olives, capers, garlic and anchovies, why would you??? Mangia bene!
Main Ingredient Notes
If you have a well-stocked Italian pantry, chances are that you already have everything that you need to make this Neapolitan penne puttanesca:
- Garlic, Oregano, Red Pepper Flakes: As I mentioned above, puttanesca sauce is pungent with bold flavors. Lots of garlic (chopped or thinly-sliced), dried oregano and hot pepper contribute to this. (But you can leave the hot pepper out and still have an amazing sauce.)
- Anchovy: Along with the garlic, capers and olives in this pasta puttanesca recipe, I am a bit heavy-handed when it comes to the amount of anchovies–but trust me on this! It makes the dish. Use olive oil-packed anchovy filets and use the oil they’re packed in as well.
- Caper and Olives: Signature flavors of puttanesca sauce. I prefer to use sharp, black, oil-cured olives in this recipe, but lots of recipes call for green (Sicilian Castelvetrano), Gaeta or kalamata olives. Use what you have but I do not suggest ordinary canned black olives with a hole as they lack flavor and complexity. Be sure to drain the capers. If you have capers that are packed in salt, soak them for at least 15 minutes, then drain them.
- White Wine: The wine adds depth and complexity, brings a layer of acidity to the dish, rounds out the overall flavor of the sauce and creates a beautiful aroma to boot! Whenever a recipe calls for white wine, I almost always use Pinot Grigio that is priced less than $10 per bottle.
- Tomatoes: The sauce base. Use whole tomatoes that are hand-crushed or already crushed or diced tomatoes.
- Pasta: I used penne rigate here–the sauce holds on so well to its ridges and grooves. Plus, its tubular shape allows bits of garlic, caper and olive to nestle inside. But this recipe will work with most long and short pastas. Some other favorites are linguine, spaghetti, bucatini and rigatoni. I love a good spaghetti alla puttanesca!
- Olive Oil: I use a heat-friendly extra virgin olive oil to sauté the garlic and a high quality extra-virgin olive oil to add richness to the finished pasta.
How to Make Penne Puttanesca
- Prep all ingredients according. Chop the garlic and olives. Drain the capers. Hand-crush the tomatoes. Put a large pot of water on to boil.
- Combine olive oil, anchovies, garlic and red pepper flakes over medium heat and cook until the garlic softens and browns lightly and the anchovies dissolve.
- Add olives and capers and cook for a few minutes, stirring regularly.
Pro-Tips
Break up the anchovies as they cook. And take care not to burn the garlic!
- Next, pour in the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits.
- Stir in the tomatoes, dried oregano and black pepper and simmer lightly for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Pro-Tip
Before adding the wine, pull some of the garlic/olive/caper mixture out of the pan and set aside to use as a garnish for serving. You’ll seem fancy to your guests.
- As the sauce simmers, cook pasta in boiling water for 2 minutes less than the package directions, or about 2 minutes before you think it is al dente. Be sure to reserve at least 1 cup of the starchy pasta water.
- When the pasta is ready, transfer it to the sauce along with about ½ cup of the starchy pasta water (to start). Stir well to fully combine all ingredients and let the pasta finish cooking in the sauce and absorb all of those wonderful flavors! (This is one of the most important steps in this recipe!) Add additional pasta water if more moisture is needed.
- Once the pasta is al dente, turn off the heat. Finish with a drizzle of high-quality extra–virgin olive oil. Transfer to a serving platter and enjoy. That’s it!
Pro-Tip
Pasta alla puttanesca contains several salt-heavy ingredients, like anchovies, capers and olives, so you will likely not need to add any additional salt. Taste test before adding any!
More Pasta Favorites
- Spaghetti and Crabs
- Sicilian Pasta alla Norma
- Pasta with Cauliflower, Pine Nuts, Raisins and Capers
- Ricotta Pasta with Eggplant and Tomatoes
- Vodka Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes
- Pasta with Quick Grape Tomato Sauce
- Pasta alla Checca (No-Cook Tomato Sauce with Ricotta)
- Linguine with Red Clam Sauce
- Pesto Ricotta Pasta (No-Cook Sauce)
- Creamy Zucchini Pasta
Love anchovies? Try Warm Eggplant Tomato Spread, Scungilli Marinara, Fettucine with Bottarga, St. Joseph’s Pasta, Shrimp Arrabbiata Pasta and Christmas Eve Baccala with Olives.
Substitutions
- Be different and try this recipe with pickles instead of capers! In fact, I already have a recipe for that! Check out pickle puttanesca and be wowed!
- I prefer to use sharp, black, oil-cured olives in this recipe, but lots of recipes call for green (Sicilian Castelvetrano), Gaeta or kalamata olives. Use what you have but I do not suggest ordinary canned black olives with a hole as they lack flavor and complexity.
- Use about 2 Tbsp anchovy paste as a substitute for anchovy filets. And increase the olive oil by about 1 Tbsp. You can increase the anchovy paste to 3 Tbsp or to taste if you think it’s needed.
Recipe Variations
- Make the sauce extra spicy by adding 1 to 2 tsp Calabrian chili paste to the pan along with the garlic.
- Fresh Herbs: If you have some fresh parsley, oregano or basil on hand, by all means include it.
- Want to make this pasta more protein-rich and hearty? Add 2 (5-ounce) cans, good quality tuna in olive oil to the sauce at the same time as the tomatoes.
- Want to add a bit of crunch? Top off the finished pasta with some toasted breadcrumbs.
- Don’t forget to drizzle some homemade spicy pepper oil over the finished dish!
TOP TIPS for Penne Puttanesca
- Tomatoes: I prefer using whole canned tomatoes and then hand-crushing them as they are less processed than other types. But you can use any type of canned tomato here. If you’re using whole tomatoes, as suggested, consider including some slices or large chunks for extra texture.
- Pasta Water: The pasta water is key! Add it to the sauce along with the pasta for the additional moisture needed to finish cooking the pasta.
- Finish Cooking Pasta in Sauce: One of the most important steps in this recipe! The puttanesca sauce has such incredible flavor. This flavor will get absorbed by the pasta, creating such amazing taste, by letting it finish cooking for its last 1 to 2 minutes in the sauce itself. So, be sure to pull the pasta out of the boiling water about 2 minutes before it is al dente, or about 2 minutes less than the package directions, and transfer it to the sauce to finish cooking.
- Make In Advance: Once the penne puttanesca sauce has simmered for about ten minutes and is ready, it can be cooled and held in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or three months in the freezer.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat them, covered, in a small skillet over medium low heat with a little bit of water until heated through.
Penne Puttanesca
Equipment
- Large Skillet (or Dutch Oven)
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 (2-ounces) tin anchovies in olive oil, (include olive oil)
- 3-4 Tbsp chopped garlic, (use as much or as little as you’d like!)
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, (use more or less as desired)
- ½ cup pitted and rough chopped black oil-cured olives , (about 3 ounces)
- ¼ cup drained capers, (about 2 ounces)
- 1 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio (8 fluid ounces)
- 1 (28-ounces) can whole peeled tomatoes, hand-crushed (See Notes.)
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 pound penne pasta, +salt for pasta water
- Extra virgin olive oil, for finishing
Instructions
- Gather and prep all ingredients according to specifications above. Put a large pot of water on to boil.(Please see the section above in the blog post for Step-By-Step instructions with photos.)
- Combine olive oil, anchovies with oil, garlic and red pepper flakes in large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes to allow the garlic to soften and brown lightly and the anchovies to dissolve, stirring a few times. Break up the anchovies as they cook. (You can also pre-chop the anchovies before adding them to pan to help this along.) Take care not to burn the garlic!2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 (2-ounces) tin anchovies in olive oil, 3-4 Tbsp chopped garlic, ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- Then add the olives and capers to the pan and increase the heat to medium high. Cook for a few minutes only, stirring regularly. Keep an eye that the garlic does not burn.(Optional: Before adding the liquids, pull some of the garlic/olive/caper mixture out of the pan and set aside to use as a garnish for serving.)½ cup pitted and rough chopped black oil-cured olives, ¼ cup drained capers
- Next, pour in the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits.1 cup dry white wine
- Stir in the tomatoes, dried oregano and black pepper, and bring to a light simmer. Reduce heat if necessary to maintain a low simmer. Simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes stirring occasionally so that the sauce does not stick or burn.NOTE: At this point, the sauce can be cooled and held, covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.1 (28-ounces) can whole peeled tomatoes, ½ tsp dried oregano, ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- Meanwhile, once the water comes to a boil, add salt, then the pasta, stirring frequently. Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the package directions, or about 2 minutes before you think it is al dente. Be sure to reserve at least 1 cup of the starchy pasta water.1 pound penne pasta
- When the pasta is ready, transfer it to the sauce along with about ½ cup of the starchy pasta water (to start). Stir well to fully combine all ingredients and let the pasta finish cooking in the sauce and absorb all of those wonderful flavors! Add the additional pasta water if more moisture is needed.
- Once the pasta is al dente, turn off the heat. Finish with a drizzle of high-quality extra–virgin olive oil. Transfer to a serving platter and enjoy. Buon Appetito!
Video
Notes
- The red sauce will get a bit darker from the anchovies and that is expected and ok.
- I prefer using whole canned tomatoes and then hand-crushing them as they are less processed than other types. But you can use any type of canned tomato here. If you’re using whole tomatoes, as suggested, consider including some slices or large chunks for extra texture.
- If you have capers that are packed in salt, soak them for at least 15 minutes, then drain them.
- I used penne here but this recipe will work with most long and short pastas. Some other favorites are linguine, spaghetti, bucatini and rigatoni.
- The pasta water is key! Add it to the sauce along with the pasta for the additional moisture needed to finish cooking the pasta.
- Finish Cooking Pasta in Sauce-one of the most important steps in this recipe! The puttanesca sauce has such incredible flavor. This flavor will get absorbed by the pasta, creating such amazing taste, by letting it finish cooking for its last 1 to 2 minutes in the sauce itself. So, be sure to pull the pasta out of the boiling water about 2 minutes before it is al dente, or about 2 minutes less than the package directions, and transfer it to the sauce to finish cooking. Do not skip this step!
- You probably won’t need any salt in this recipe due to the high salt content of the anchovies, capers and olives. Taste test the finished pasta at the end to determine if any salt is needed to your own taste. Other than salt in the pasta water (which you can leave out), I did not add any salt to this puttanesca sauce.
- Don’t forget to drizzle the finished dish with some high quality, extra-virgin olive oil for an additional hit of flavor and richness.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat them, covered, in a small skillet over medium low heat with a little bit of water until heated through.
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Soooo good! Puttanesca perfection. And so quick and easy.
I omitted the oregano (personal preference), but added parsley instead. Will definitely make this one again!
SO happy you loved my puttanesca recipe, Josette! I admit to really loving it too. 🙂 Thanks so much for your comment!
It’s a hit whenever I make this recipe. Everyone always wants the recipe!