Authentic Italian Puttanesca sauce recipe is so delicious, quick and easy to make! All you will need for Puttanesca sauce are some anchovies, capers, cherry tomatoes, garlic, chilli, olive oil and Parmesan cheese for dusting. Fantastic Spaghetti alla Puttanesca in only 12 minutes, you can enjoy this mouth-watering pasta recipe any day of the week!
Where does Italian Puttanesca sauce originates from?
This recipe is now an Italian classic, well known throughout Italy and around the world, even though is quite a modern recipe. In fact, has been created after the Second World War in the Campania region. The name provenience is still not quite known, but the fact that it translate in to prostitute style, has created many different theories. Read more about the story of Italian Puttanesca sauce here.
Can I use other pasta shapes for authentic Italian Puttanesca sauce?
Absolutely, but in my opinion this simple Puttanesca sauce works better with long, thin pasta. If spaghetti is not available, you could use vermicelli or linguine.
Are you a pasta lover? You might be interested in trying some of our other recipes, which are equally easy to make:
Let's make spaghetti alla puttanesca
Ingredients:
- 400 g Spaghetti pasta
- 500 g Cherry tomatoes halved
- 50 g olives
- 4 Anchovies fillets or 15 g
- 20 g Capers
- 2 Garlic cloves or 10 g
- 1 red chilli chopped or 10 g
- 10 g Tomato paste
- 10 ml Olive oil
- 5 g Basil leaves
- Parmesan for grating
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Watch our video for step by step instructions
1 Place a large pan of salted water on the heat, once boiling add the pasta and cook about a minute less then packaging instructions.
2 Meanwhile, pour the olive in a large frying pan (skillet), add the finely sliced or chopped garlic, chilli and the anchovy’s fillets, place on a gentle heat.
3 When the garlic is golden in colour and the anchovy’s fillets have cook down, add the capers, olives, tomato paste, and steer for a minute.
4 Add the cherry tomatoes and basil leaves, lower the heat, and cook down for a couple of minutes.
5 Once the spaghetti is cooked, using the tongs, transfer them in the sauce, adding a bit of the cooking water.
6 Place back on the heat and steer the pasta for a minute in the sauce. Serve immediately after grating a good amount of Parmesan on the top.
This authentic Italian puttanesca sauce recipe is so quick and easy to make, why not serve it with a side of Parmesan crusted asparagus, sauteed spinach or if you are a fun of anchovies as much as I am, try green beans in marinara sauce!
HINT AND TIPS:
If you are not a big fan of chilli in spaghetti alla Puttanesca, remove the seeds from the chilly, this will result in a more delicate and mild heat.
On the other hand, if the spaghetti is looking a bit dry, just add a bit more hot cooking water and steer or saute.
Allergens: GLUTEN, FISH, DAIRY
- Make it GLUTEN FREE: use Gluten Free Spaghetti
- VEGAN OPTION: add some oregano instead of anchovies
- VEGETARIAN OPTION: substitute anchovies with oregano for extra flavour and instead of Parmesan use dairy free hard cheese alternative
- DAIRY FREE OPTION: use hard cheese alternative
Start your meal with a few appetizers of funghi fritti to really get the party going!
Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
Equipment
- Large saucepan
- Large frying pan (skillet)
Ingredients
- 400 g Spaghetti pasta
- 500 g Cherry tomatoes halved
- 50 g olives
- 15 g Anchovies fillets 4 fillets
- 20 g Capers
- 10 g Garlic cloves 2 cloves
- 10 g Red chilli chopped 1 chilli
- 10 g Tomato paste
- 10 ml Olive oil
- 5 g Basil leaves
- Parmesan for grating
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- 1 Place a large pan of salted water on the heat, once boiling add the pasta and cook about a minute less then packaging instructions.
- 2 Meanwhile, pour the olive in a large frying pan (skillet), add the finely sliced or chopped garlic, chilli and the anchovy’s fillets, place on a gentle heat.
- 3 When the garlic is golden in colour and the anchovy’s fillets have cook down, add the capers, olives, tomato paste, and steer for a minute.
- 4 Add the cherry tomatoes and basil leaves, lower the heat, and cook down for a couple of minutes.
- 5 Once the spaghetti is cooked, using the tongs, transfer them in the sauce, adding a bit of the cooking water.
- 6 Place back on the heat and stir the pasta for a minute in the sauce. Serve immediately after grating a good amount of parmesan on the top.
Video
Spaghetti is looking a bit dry? Just add a bit more hot cooking water and stir or sauté. Allergens: Gluten, Fish, Dairy *Gluten-free option: substitute durum wheat pasta for the Gluten-Free one *Vegetarian option: instead of anchovies, use a little oregano of extra flavour *Vegan option: substitute anchovies with oregano with extra flavour, instead of Parmesan cheese, use alternative vegan hard cheese *Dairy-Free option: substitute Parmesan cheese for hard dairy free alternative
Nutrition
We hope you enjoy this super easy and tasty authentic Italian puttanesca sauce recipe! When looking for a speedy pasta recipe, why not try our spaghetti alla crudaiola recipe, a quick celebration of tomatoes, or creamy pasta alla Salmone?
Finish your meal with a treat, try these amazing crunchy polenta biscuits, a great recipe to get your children involved!
Have you tried this recipe? We would love to hear from you, Rate this spaghetti alla puttanesca recipe and let us know your thoughts in the comments below, share it, or pin it for your friend to enjoy it too!
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Buon Appettito!
One time I ate spaghetti alla puttanesca, while working at Sandrigo, in Italy. I liked them very much, but I discovered them late, just a few days before I returned home to Romania. I’m glad you posted the spaghetti alla puttanesca recipe. I will try to make this dish too.
This looks absolutely delicious! My husband isnt a fan of spaghetti(I know, I should divorce him lol) so I can’t wait to go out with friends and have proper itallian food again!
Charlotte, don’t divorce your husband over pasta :). Just have a girls night in and treat them to an amazing, simple Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
love it, just love the zing of all those strong flavours against each other. Its like a mini taste explosion in your mouth every time
I love this recipe and am going to attempt it next week. I like that you have options to make it vegan and vegetarian and the step by step videos are great!
Pasta can be so same-same sometimes. I loved the vegan version, thank you so much!
This sounds delicious. My kids are all big fans of pasta in any form. We are having a simple pasta dish tonight, with smoked sausage and salad. The sauce sounds lovely.
This looks so good and the recipe looks easy to make too! I will give it a whirl! Thanks!
Hi Marina
I am so excited to have found your blog! I love Italian food and am always on the lookout for simple quick recipes. I’m not an anchovy lover, but have found lots of other recipes I love already. Thank you!
Kind regards,
Jean
Hi Jean, I am glad you have found some other recipes which you liked on site. If you are a not anchovies lover, not to worry. Just substitute the anchovies with some oregano for extra flavour! Boun Apettito!
Love this puttanesca sauce!
Just reading the ingredient list is making me hungry!! I can’t wait to make this puttanesca sauce.
Looks fantastic! Thanks for sharing.
Love a great pasa recipe! This was so delicious! My daughter wants it again next week!
This italian puttanesca sauce is perfect! I will definitely try this at home.
Oooh this sounds absolutely delish and not too tricky either. Will be trying – thank you!
Yum!!! I’m going to try making this thank you…
What a great use of flavors in this recipe! It looks amazing! I sure do love my pasta dishes!
This looks and sounds lovely. Very simple, I’ll pass it onto the cook in the house 😉
My mouth is literally watering. I wish this were in front of me.
Going for the vegan option. So much flavor…I don’t think we will miss the anchovies.
A great recipe to use up all the cherry tomatoes I’ve got growing in my patio garden!
Ohhhh thats a yummy looking sauce and dinner, I think I’ll add this one to the list to do
So much flavor in this pasta! Thank you!