This Linguine Puttanesca recipe is easy to make any night of the week with a few basic ingredients from your pantry: canned tomatoes, garlic, olives, capers, red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper!
I’m so incredibly happy that I have a freezer stocked with jars of this puttanesca sauce right now.
I made a big batch last week because I always figure that if you’re going to go through the trouble of making something, you might as well make a lot of it and save some for later!
Luckily, puttanesca sauce freezes incredibly well. I’ve got a jar of if thawing in the fridge in anticipation of tonight’s dinner.
It’s snowing right now and I’m shocked by how quickly the weather has changed around here lately.
On Saturday I had my whole family over for our annual holiday baking day. The family arrived at around ten in the morning, and we all worked hard to completely destroy my previously clean kitchen by smearing sticky marshmallow all over the floors and using every clean bowl, measuring cup, and baking sheet I had in the house.
I made some hot toddies for us to drink, and by the afternoon we had already moved through a brief period of wine-drinking and headed straight into the cheap beer.
The weather was unseasonably warm, so we decided to spend what was left of the daylight hours roaming around the property and exploring the woods with the kids.
It turned into quite a late night. The next morning I surveyed the damage in the house and wondered why-oh-why this seems to happen every weekend.
Sunday was spent watching x-files reruns and ignoring the messy house. Once the work week started I knew I had to pull myself together and start cleaning.
Most of the mess was an assortment of beer cans and bottles that needed to be taken to the recycling, but the worst part was the floors. Not a room in the house avoided the mess! The kitchen was coated in mostly unidentifiable sticky baking substances, while the living room was covered in muddy foot prints.
I’m so impressed with how quickly my family can destroy a place. I don’t know how my parents survived raising us.
Now, the house is finally clean and there is NO way I am going to mess it all up again by dragging out pots and pans to make a big dinner.
Linguine puttanesca is on the menu for tonight, and I couldn’t be happier about it. I’m serving it with a salad (one of those bagged Caesar mixes; don’t judge me), and some torn french bread for dipping in oil and vinegar.
I absolutely adore this recipe. It’s hard to find something easier to make, plus it’s made entirely with pantry ingredients. No need to go shopping every time you get a puttanesca craving!
Rumor has it that the recipe was originally invented by Italian “ladies of the night” who were in need of a quick and easy meal in between customers.
If it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for me.
Linguine Puttanesca Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 28- ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup roughly chopped olives
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground coarse black pepper
- 1 teaspoon miso paste - optional
- 1 pound linguine noodles
- Grated Parmesan cheese for serving - optional
Instructions
- Place the whole tomatoes in a large bowl; use your hands to squeeze and crush the tomatoes into a thick sauce. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the grated garlic and red pepper flakes; fry for 60 to 90 seconds, until the garlic is fragrant. Immediately add the tomatoes, olives, capers, salt, pepper, and miso (if using) to the pan. Stir well; turn the heat down to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the linguine according to package instructions for al dente. Drain the pasta and add to the pan of simmered puttanesca sauce. Toss well; serve with grated parmesan if desired.
This looks delicious and I have *almost* everything ready to go in my pantry. Can you tell me what the miso paste adds to the recipe, and maybe some decent substitutions?
Of course! ‘Traditional’ puttanesca uses anchovies, but since I’m not currently eating meat I substituted with miso paste because it adds a umami flavor. You could add some worcestershire (or fish sauce!) instead 🙂
I’ve made this twice since you posted it and the second time was this morning for breakfast and I’m eating it as I type. I made this years ago and am so happy to have this recipe resurface from you because I’ll be making it as a staple again! YUM YUM YUM. Everything I love and I made this in no time flat! Thanks yet again for a fabulously flavorful recipe!
I can’t lie, I’ve made it twice in the past week! So glad you like it, Denise 🙂