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Puttanesca Sauce Recipe

September 24, 2016 by Florentina 21 Comments

An authentic spaghetti alla Puttanesca Sauce recipe or Suggo all Puttanesca, made with anchovies, capers and black olives. A favorite classic Italian pasta dish!

Red Pot of Puttanesca Sauce

So what is Puttanesca sauce or Suggo all Puttanesca ?

An incredibly flavorful, traditional Southern Italian tomato sauce “ in the style of a prostitute” , dating back to the 20th century. How is that for a history lesson ? You are welcome kids 😉 

Traditionally served with spaghetti, the sauce gets its flavor from lots of garlic, stinky anchovies, black olives and capers. The secret here is to not get stingy with any of the ingredients. Unless you wanna go vegan of course, in which case you can forget about the anchovies 😉

I like to think of it as a loaded Marinara or Arrabbiata sauce that you can make with fresh or canned San Marzano tomatoes. 

Pot of Puttanesca Sauce with Olives and Capers

How to make the Best Puttanesca Sauce:

  • Saute lost of garlic, red pepper flakes and anchovies in a little olive oil.
  • Add olives, tomatoes and oregano and cook them down into a hearty, thick sauce.
  • Toss with spaghetti  and sprinkle with more olives and parsley. 

Clearly it doesn’t get much easier in the kitchen than making a pot of sauce to toss with pasta, right ? Yet you still have to keep an eye on it during cooking, as tomatoes have a lot of beautiful natural sugars that will burn easily If you walk away from it for too long without stirring, or if the flame is too high.

Puttanesca Sauce Recipe Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

Important things to remember:

  1. Cook your sauce slowly, on low flame.
  2. Stir often with a  wooden spoon so it doesn’t stick and burn.
  3. Make more than you need because you will want leftovers! 

Easy Italian recipes are my favorite go to for my weeknight meals, but this classic puttanesca sauce is also worthy of gracing your dinner table for Sunday supper with the family. 

Pot of Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

4.89 from 9 votes
Puttanesca Sauce Recipe Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
Print
Puttanesca Sauce Recipe (Spaghetti alla Puttanesca)
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
50 mins
 
An authentic Puttanesca Sauce recipe or Suggo all Puttanesca, made with anchovies, capers and black olives. A favorite pasta dish of spaghetti alla Puttanesca.
Course: Main
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4
Author: Florentina
Ingredients
  • 1 oz x 28 can San Marzano tomatoes
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 7 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tsp red pepper flakes or to taste
  • 2 tbsp capers
  • 8 anchovies
  • 3/4 c black olives sliced
  • 2 tbsp fresh oregano or 1 dry
  • 1/4 c Italian parsley roughly chopped
  • sea salt to taste
  • 3/4 lb spaghetti
Instructions
  1. In a heavy bottom pot add a lug of olive oil over low flame.
  2. Add the anchovies and red pepper flakes to the olive oil and sauté for about two minutes until the anchovies start to melt into the oil.
  3. Stir in the garlic and stir well taking good care not to burn it. Add half of the black olives and the capers and cook for about 15 seconds or so.
  4. Use your hands to roughly crush the San Marzano tomatoes and add them to the pot together with the oregano. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer.

  5. Partially cover the sauce with a lid and let it cook down for about 35 minutes until reduced and thickened to your liking. Stir often.
  6. Remove the sauce from flame and adjust seasonings to your taste with the sea salt.

  7. Meanwhile cook the spaghetti al dente and toss them with the puttanesca sauce.
  8. Serve hot, garnished with the remaining olives and fresh parsley.

 

 You’ll Also Love: 

Arrabiata Sauce

Arrabiata Sauce

Seafood Spaghetti Recipe ( Spaghetti Frutti di Mare )

Seafood Spaghetti

Gnocchi Zuppa Toscana Recipe

Gnocchi Zuppa Toscana

Best Marinara Sauce

Filed Under: Gluten Free, Main Courses, Pasta and Risotto, Vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: Best Italian recipes, Best Vegetarian Recipes, Easy Italian Recipes, homemade tomato sauce, how to make tomato sauce, Italian Dinner Recipes, Italian Meals, Italian Pasta Dishes, Italian Pastas, Italian Recipes, Italian Tomato Sauce, Quick Italian Recipes, Simple Pasta Recipes, tomato sauce, tomato sauce recipe, Vegetarian Recipes

About Florentina

Hi, I'm Florentina, the voice behind the wholesome recipes you find in this journal. But I'm not alone, I'm really just channeling the Man in the Photo, one recipe at a time! Thank you for joining me in my quest for the art of simple, rustic living, trying to capture the raw beauty of organic food & life through the lens of my Iphone and camera.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Platter Talk

    September 25, 2016 at 6:00 pm

    4 stars
    I used to make this sauce years ago and sort had sort of forgotten about it. Thanks for an updated version. Your pictures look delicious.

    Reply
  2. Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy

    September 26, 2016 at 2:36 am

    5 stars
    Spaghetti sauce just HAS to have olives in my opinion. This looks like some delicious comfort food.

    Reply
  3. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine

    September 26, 2016 at 3:27 am

    5 stars
    Such a perfect dinner meal! Nothing better then some classic pasta and great sauce!

    Reply
  4. Heather @Boston Girl Bakes

    September 26, 2016 at 1:35 pm

    5 stars
    Ooh bookmarking this to make next week for dinner!

    Reply
  5. Aish Das-Padihari

    September 26, 2016 at 3:06 pm

    5 stars
    Never heard of Puttanesca sauce until now. This is the best part about being into food blogging and networking.., you get to learn so much almost everyday. And coming back to the recipe, seems less complicated than the name itself. I will definitely give it a try. Thanks!

    Reply
  6. J @ Bless Her Heart Y'all

    September 26, 2016 at 4:00 pm

    5 stars
    Oh good grief does this look good! The Hubster is looking over my shoulder and just saying “want it!”. This will have to be on our dinner menu this week! YUM!

    Reply
  7. Sheila @ Life, Love, and Good Food

    September 26, 2016 at 4:37 pm

    Haha! Love your humor — and love this recipe! Yum.

    Reply
  8. Amanda | The Chunky Chef

    September 26, 2016 at 6:29 pm

    I’m always down for using more San Marzano tomatoes… they’re my absolute favorite! This sauce looks delicious 😀

    Reply
  9. Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet

    September 26, 2016 at 8:48 pm

    That looks so fresh and flavorful and YES, San Marzano’s are the best!

    Reply
  10. Renee - Kudos Kitchen

    September 27, 2016 at 4:27 am

    This is one flavorful sauce! I’ve heard the story of the name before and I think it’s awesome! I need to make this! What a beautiful pasta dish!

    Reply
  11. carrie @ frugal foodie mama

    September 27, 2016 at 5:07 am

    In the style of a prostitute?? Bahahaha! That being said I just LOVE a good puttanesca sauce, and your post has reminded me that it has been WAY to long since I have made one. 😉

    Reply
    • Florentina

      September 27, 2016 at 12:26 pm

      True story girl haha 😉

      Reply
  12. Erin @ Texanerin Baking

    September 27, 2016 at 5:12 am

    Thanks for the lesson! 😀 This looks so delicious! And easy.

    Reply
  13. Sabrina

    September 27, 2016 at 6:42 am

    5 stars
    San Marzano tomatoes are the best! Love your recipe, and all those olives!

    Reply
  14. Yar | OfRecipes Africa

    September 28, 2016 at 1:20 am

    Yum!! I love that this is so simple and one-pot, too!! Less mess to clean!

    Reply
  15. Alma Beatrice

    September 29, 2016 at 6:43 am

    5 stars
    Just made this with my sister and we both loved it. Even my 4 year old daughter enjoyed it. Will be made again and again.

    Reply
    • Florentina

      September 29, 2016 at 9:43 am

      That makes me so happy! This puttanesca sauce saves the day a lot around here too, just can’t beat a good bowl of pasta ~ Florentina

      Reply
  16. Clem de Marigny

    April 19, 2018 at 2:33 am

    I have cooked this on many occasions … my own concoction 85% about 4****..
    Now I think you have given me the real one …. so right, I use to skimp on the anchovies ..
    Cant wait for the week end to give it a bash..
    Would like to add a few chilies is that OK . Green or red

    Reply
  17. FoodLovingMom

    July 20, 2019 at 5:17 pm

    5 stars
    Really delicious! Big tomato taste with a salty, briny bite. Everyone loved it! Easy to prepare in less than an hour.

    Reply
  18. Nicole

    October 20, 2019 at 6:55 pm

    Hi there, I have never cooked with anchovies but would love to try this recipe. Do you buy anchovies canned in oil? And, do you prep the anchovies in anyway before adding them to the hot oil? Thank you for any advice you can provide!

    Reply
    • Florentina

      October 23, 2019 at 11:00 am

      Hi Nicole, at the time I used anchovies packed in oil but nowadays I use dulse flakes or the seaweed mix packed in salt (you can even use crumbled nori) to give it that seafood flavor, way healthier and the flavor is wonderful!

      Reply

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