Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
(Pasta with Tomatoes, Olives, Capers, and Anchovies)
Ingredients
For the Puttanesca Sauce
- 75 grams (1/3 cup) olive oil
- 50 grams (10 cloves) garlic thinly sliced
- 62 grams (10 - 12) oil-packed anchovy fillets, very finely chopped
- 3 grams (1 1/2 teaspon) dried red chile flakes
- 30 grams (2 Tbsp) tomato paste
- 2 large (794 g / 20 oz.) cans whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
- 140 grams (1 cup) pitted Taggiasca olives, cut into quarters
- 32 grams (3 Tbsp) small salt-packed capers, rinsed (Tip: Be sure to soak the capers in cold water before using, refreshing the water every 15 minutes or so, until they are briny but not salty, about 2 hours.)
- Salt q.b. (stands for quanto basta or "as needed")
To Finish
- 624 grams/1 lb. 6 oz. extruded spaghetti (see recipe in headnote)
Instructions
To Make the Spaghetti
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and generously dust with semolina. Follow the recipe for extruded dough.
- When the machine has warmed and the pasta is properly extruding, gently pull on the pasta to ensure that it comes out evenly in a straight line (you want to avoid the pasta curling as it comes out of the extruder) and lightly dust with semolina.
- Use a bench scraper to cut the spaghetti into 18-inch lengths, then curl into a horseshoe shape and place in one layer on the prepared sheet pan.
- Let the pasta dry for 2 to 6 hours, until it has very little give and has semi-hardened. If not using right away, cover the sheet pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 36 hours.
Make the Puttanesca Sauce
- To make the sauce, place a heavy sauce pot or Dutch oven over low heat. Add the olive oil and garlic and gently cook until aromatic but without color,10 to 15 seconds.
- Add the anchovies and stir to incorporate. Cook, stirring, until they start to dissolve into the oil, about 30 seconds.
- Add the chile flakes, followed by the tomato paste. Cook, stirring constantly, until the oil takes on a reddish hue, 30 to 45 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes and their juice and stir to incorporate. Turn the heat up to medium-low and cook at a slow simmer until the rawness of the tomatoes is cooked out and the flavors have melded, 30 to 45 minutes. You are not looking to reduce the sauce.
- Remove from the heat and add the olives and capers and stir to incorporate. Season with salt q.b. (Go easy, as olives, anchovies, and capers provide a lot of salinity.)
- Measure out 540g / 2¼ cups sauce and set aside. Transfer the remainder to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for another use.
- To finish, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Generously salt the water.
- Add the spaghetti to the water and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, until al dente.
- While the pasta is cooking, place a large sauté pan over low heat. Add the sauce.
- Using tongs or a pasta basket, remove the pasta from the pot and transfer to the sauté pan. Turn the heat up to medium. Toss for 1 to 2 minutes to marry the pasta and the sauce. If the sauce begins to tighten, add a splash of pasta cooking water to loosen. When the pasta is properly married, it will cling to the sauce and have a glossy sheen.
- Divide the pasta into bowls.
Notes
Reprinted with permission from Pasta: The Spirit and Craft of Italy's Greatest Food by Missy Robbins and Talia Baiocchi, copyright © 2021. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
Photograph copyright © 2021 by Kelly Puleio