I just realised that it has been ages since I made a pasta dish for the blog and as I’ve been craving a puttanesca pasta lately, this time has finely come.

Puttanesca is a classic Italian pasta that’s really low on effort but high on flavour. The debate rages as to whether or not this dish is traditionally vegan. Some people claim that the only animal-derived product used in puttanesca – anchovies – does not belong in its original Neapolitan version, others claim exactly the opposite. I don’t know where the truth lies but this dish has so much going on, flavourwise, that it is perfect without tiny, salty fishes, in my opinion.

This classic Italian pasta uses many plant big hitters that are often used in vegan cooking to yield flavour so it’s no surprise that this pasta is so flavoursome. It features garlic, chilli (you can skip it if you don’t like spice), olives, capers and tomatoes – all the produce that makes me think of summer. In addition to a can of tomatoes, I also chose to use a handful of cherry tomatoes as they are currently in season and I love how they deliver little bursts of sweetness. You can skip those if you are attempting to make this dish wholly from your cupboard staples though. It will still be delicious, perfect for those hot summer meals.

MORE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS

PASTA: Traditionally pasta puttanesca is made with spaghetti, but linguine, bucatini or any smooth and slinky type of pasta can be used as well. The important thing is to undercook your pasta a bit so that you can finish it off in the sauce without overcooking it. Also trust your tastebuds, not packet instructions as most often than not you’ll end up with your pasta grossly overcooked.

TOMATOES: Ripe, flavoursome tomatoes are key ingredients in a summery dish like this. You can use chopped fresh tomatoes but they hold quite a lot more water so you’ll need to simmer the sauce for a bit longer. Italian recipes often use canned cherry tomatoes, but I couldn’t find these in my local supermarket and I love little bursts of sweetness and juiciness from cherry tomatoes, I combined a can of quality chopped tomatoes with some ripe cherry tomatoes and the flavour and texture of the sauce is exquisite.

CAPERS: Capers – little flower buds preserved in brine – are little miracle workers. They deliver so much flavour. I used tiny baby capers, but if you have the regular type, you may want to chop them roughly for a better distribution of flavour. Oh if you are using capers that have been preserved in salt, rather than brine, rinse the salt off first.

OLIVES: I love olives, especially Kalamata olives and that’s what I used in this recipe. Traditional recipes use small purple olives called Gaeta/Itrana olives, but as these aren’t commonly available here in the UK, I used Kalamata olives instead.

GARLIC: As a devoted garlic and carb lover any pasta that features both makes me instantly smile. Here I used a couple of large garlic cloves, you can use fewer or more if that’s your preference.

CHILLI: I love a hint of chilli heat in this dish, but if you don’t simply skip that ingredient. I used a fresh chilli as I had one in my fridge already but some dried chilli flakes work just as well.

OLIVE OIL: Olive oil is used to infuse the dish with the flavour of garlic, chilli and capers and to give the sauce better, more velvety texture.

PARSLEY: A good handful of fresh parsley as added to the sauce at the end to finish the dish off nicely.

HOW TO MAKE IT?

1) INFUSE OIL WITH GARLIC & CHILLI

To begin with, infuse your olive oil with garlic and chilli, eventually adding capers and olives. Be sure to keep the heat low and to agitate the garlic often as it is too easy to burn and that makes it, and the entire dish, taste bitter. You want the garlic to turn golden ever so slightly, but not brown or, worse, black. If that happens you need to start again. Once the garlic is golden, add capers and olives and fry for a couple more minutes.

2) COOK YOUR PASTA

While you are watching the garlic and making sure it does not burn, put your pasta water on. Cook your pasta in lightly salted water (it should taste like salt water) until just shy of al dente, but instead of trusting the packet instructions taste your pasta. Packet instructions tend to over estimate the cooking time. Just before you drain your pasta, reserve some strachy pasta cooking water, about half a cup (120 ml).

3) ADD TOMATOES AND REDUCE

While your pasta is cooking, increase the heat to medium and add canned tomatoes to the pan. Season with a generous grind of pepper and salt. I used canned chopped tomatoes, but if your tomatoes aren’t chopped or are still a bit chunky, be sure to squash them down with a fork or a potato masher (some people like to use their hands, I don’t) before adding them to the pan – this will make the sauce cook quicker. If using fresh cherry toms as well as canned, like I did, you can also add them now whole or you can halve them and add them a couple of minutes before the sauce is ready. Once the sauce is looking thick and dark red (this amount should take about 10-12 minutes), taste it and adjust the seasoning. I like to add a good pinch of sugar too, but that’s totally optional.

4) MIX EVERYTHING TOGETHER

Transfer cooked pasta into the pan with the sauce. Using a pair of kitchen tongs coat the pasta in the sauce, use a splash of pasta cooking water you reserved earlier to loosen if necessary (you won’t need all of it most likely). Divide between two (100 g / 3.5 oz of pasta per person) or three (just under 70 g / 2.5 oz pasta per person) and sprinkle with flat chopped parsley to finish.