Recipe: PASTA ALLA PUTTANESCA

Improvise, and 80 Italian chefs will beat you to death

If I haven’t said it before, I’ll say it again: in Italy, there is only ONE way to cook a classic Italian dish, which is the classic Italian way: no fusion, no embellishment, no “improvements.” It has been scientifically proven that there can be no improvements, that a culture this old has exquisitely perfected each dish, and “adding a little something” is tantamount to desecrating a holy relic.

Disclaimers aside, you are going to go bananas over this dish. Best of all, it’s EASY. The origins of pasta alla puttanesca are murky, and it might actually mean “whore’s spaghetti” (puttana is an Italian slur for prostitute), but hey, everybody’s gotta eat, so here goes.

Spaghetti 0.7 lb (320 grams)

4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

8 anchovies in oil

2 brimming tablespoons tomato paste

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained, and then lightly crushed with a fork

2 tablespoons imported Italian extra-virgin olive oil (don’t substitute a cheaper oil; the taste of the oil is everything, and all too often, American olive oils are anything but.)

3/4 cup pitted olives, preferably ones from the deli and not from a can

1/4 cup salted capers, drained

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Zest of one lemon

Kosher salt to taste

Ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Rinse capers under warm running water to get rid of the excess salt. Dry them and then chop them coarsely. Do the same with the olives, crushing them slightly with the blade of a knife so they will express their juice better when cooked.

2. Place a pot of water on a high heat for the spaghetti, salting after the water boils. Cook spaghetti until it’s al dente, per package directions.

3. In a large pan, warm oil over medium heat. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, capers, and the anchovy fillets, cooking until the garlic turns lightly golden, approximately 4 minutes. The anchovies should melt in the oil and release their aroma.

4. Add the tomato paste and stir, cooking for 1 minute.

5. Add the lightly crushed tomatoes and cook over medium heat for another 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.

6. Salt and pepper to taste.

7. When the sauce is almost done, add the chopped olives, being sure not to overcook. No longer than 1 minute.

8. Drain your spaghetti and then add it to your sauce, sautéing for 30-40 seconds until the flavors mix together. Stir in the lemon zest. Serve hot.

   Helpful suggestions: Always save some of your starchy pasta water to thin out the puttanesca sauce, if needed. In order for the sauce to thicken properly, you may also need to cook it over a low heat for longer than described in this recipe.

Buon appetito!