Saturday, January 15, 2011

Pasta alla Puttanesca

Before I talk about a delicious pasta dish, I would like to remind you to enter my Giveaway - click HERE to see that post and enter for a $40 gift from CSN!

OK, on to important stuff - pasta!

Pasta alla Puttanesca, a classic dish popular in Calabria and Lazio (according to Williams Sonoma's book The Essentials of Italian Cooking) but also served in many American households.



I grew up south of Philadelphia , a small suburb called Brookhaven…which bled into Parkside, Upland , Chester ….all little communities of their own….most teeming with first and second generation Italians. So…I know this dish. Heard about it, tasted it many times…growing up in a proverbial melting pot of cultures and tastes that enriched my childhood.



Ingredients needed.....adjust according to taste!

¼ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 can plum (Roma) tomatoes, drained and chopped
Sea salt and ground pepper
6 to 8 olive oil packed anchovy fillets, chopped
¼ cup chopped pitted Gaeta or other Mediterranean-style black olives
2 TB chopped capers
2 TB chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 pound penne or other pasta

Heat a large frying pan and warm the oil. Add garlic and red pepper and saute – about 2 minutes

Add tomatoes, salt, pepper and bring to a simmer.

Reduce heat to low and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened up….about 20 minutes.

Add anchovies, olives, capers and parsley and simmer 1 minute.
Meanwhile, get your pasta water to a boil, salt it, and add your pasta of choice. I used Barilla Penne.


When the pasta is cooked, ladle out 2 scoops of pasta cooking water. Nice starchy stuff.

Open the wine...a Chianti would obviously work well....but we had this bottle of Goats do Roam (love the play on words) and we enjoyed this one with the pasta.




Add drained pasta to sauce in the pan, toss over low heat. Adjust the consistency with the cooking water if needed.

Bello! Serve with green beans sauted in olive oil with bacon and warm bread.





Ciao!

This is a candidate for Presto Pasta Nights so I'll be linking up with the guest host - Girlichef. Go check out PPN and Girlichef...you'll be glad you did :-)

girlichefCHEESYbutton

17 comments:

  1. Oh my absolute GOODNESS!!! Even the green beans sound good and I'm not in favor of green beans. Of course, the Chianti is simply perfect...

    Thanks for sharing...

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  2. Gorgeous! I could totally dig this kinda meal ANYTIME! I love the name of the wine, too :D Sounds awesome, Tina...thank you for sharing it with me and Presto Pasta Nights this week!

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  3. I adore baked pastas, so satisfing! The name of the wine is a riot, I'll have to look for it here.

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  4. Pasta never disappoints anyone! This pasta looks mouthwatering and is so versatile, but most of all is a tried and true family dish.

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  5. Louise, long time no see. Hope you are well! This is good to warm the belly in this harsh winter.

    Girlichef - And thank you for hosting PPN. Let me know if you try it.

    Rhonda - They also put out a Bored Doe which is very good. South African wines are a fav in our house

    Katerina- I agree, pastas are always filling and comforting me.

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  6. that is a great melding pot of goodness... looks absolutely comforting and know it is - has it turned a little warmer for ya'll, seems like it warmed up here yesterday...now for the rain and then more cold...ugh

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  7. Pasta puttanesca is definitely one of my favorite dishes. It's amazing how something this simple can taste so good!

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  8. Tart's pasta - yum ... a favourite and Goats do Roam - double yum! And the crust and a schlurp of wine - Simon and I will be right there x

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  9. AND - green beans with bacon ... double dribble - any Balsamico?

    *needs bread to clear up now*

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  10. Hi Tina - I adore Pasta alla Puttanesca - it's one of my favourite pasta dishes - I'll definitely be trying this recipe.

    Love the Goats do Roam wine - priceless :-)

    Sue xo

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  11. This look just wonderful; my husband often orders that when we go out to eat; Won't he be surprised when I make this for him; thank you.

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  12. You had me with the wine choice!

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  13. I love your version of this recipe. It's always been one of my favorite ways to eat pasta

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  14. That's one satisfying dish! Pasta's are mainstays each week here at home those it's mostly linguine. I should be exploring penne and other shapes

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