When making Spaghetti alla Puttanesca, the kitchen is quickly filled with Italian atmosphere, and someone will surely ask if there is another plate left. Tomatoes, olives, capers and anchovies: intense, salty-sour Southern Italian character. The answer usually depends on how quickly the questioner gets to the pot.
Thorough preparation
- Preparation: prepare all the ingredients, grate the cheeses, chop the necessary ingredients, and set aside a large mug for the pasta's starchy cooking water. With Italian pasta, it is important to have everything at hand due to the quick assembly.
- Melt the anchovies with the sliced garlic and a little chili in olive oil over low heat.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, and after 10 minutes, the olives and the rinsed capers.
- Cook the sauce uncovered for another 8-10 minutes to keep it thick but fresh.
- Cook the spaghetti until al dente, then add it to the sauce with a little cooking water.
- Serve with chopped parsley and add salt only after tasting.
- Finishing and serving: serve the pasta immediately on a preheated plate. Before serving, check the consistency of the sauce; if it's too thick, loosen it with a little cooking water, if it's too thin, work it together with short, vigorous stirring.
Practical tips and common mistakes
- Add salt only at the end, because anchovies, olives and capers together are already a serious salt team.
- Cook the pasta until al dente, because it softens even more in the sauce.
- Grate the cheese finely and add it in several portions so that it melts smoothly.
- Serve fresh: these sauces thicken quickly as they stand.