Pasta Puttanesca
So it’s “Date Night Dinner” day…………my thoughts have been on pasta lately. Maybe its the weather……freezing. Plus I have had several days home from school………sub-zero temps……..so I had some time on my hands. I was looking over some of my old recipes trying to decide what the pasta should be. Then Tim reminded me of a pasta that I had made when we first were married. Which hasn’t been all that long ago as we have only been married for a little less that 3 years. I will share the whole silly crazy story on Valentines Day.
But if you have been following the blog, you will remember that Tim’s sense of taste is not perfect, due to an accident. I try to make things spicy without being crazy hot. This dish has the pasta I have been craving and the spice for Tim.
Now when you read the recipe, please do not freak out that it has anchovies………thats right anchovies. But I swear they do not taste like you would suspect. Seriously they add a background flavor that no one would ever detect. I was skeptical the first time I made it, but I always try the original recipe as written before I start to tweak………..no I did not say twerk………..no twerking here……tweaking yes. This one I have tweaked this to a spicy, warm you from head to toe pasta. Serve it along with a nice tossed salad,some warm crusty bread, and for those of you so inclined, a glass of nice red wine. So enjoy a nice “Date Night Pasta Dinner”!
Pasta Puttanesca
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: cook
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Spicy tomato pasta
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 large onion sliced
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 – 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
- 2–3 anchovy fillets, chopped
- 1 tablespoon drained capers
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 oz spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- Grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until garlic is fragrant and onions are being to get translucent. Add tomatoes, olives, anchovies, capers, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes. Simmer sauce over medium low heat until thickened, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain pasta and add to the tomato mixture in the skillet and toss over low heat until sauce is coating the pasta. Divide between two plates and garnish with parmesan cheese and parsley.
