Jamie Oliver's 30 Minute Meals: Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca recipe (2024)

This dish was at the top of my "must cook" list from the 30 Minute Meals book, mainly because of the anchovies and olives. Col was less enthused but regardless of whether you're an anchovy fan or not, it's a brilliant recipe.

As with all the dishes I’ve cooked that contain anchovies (Summer Veg Lasagne, Baked Cannelloni, Caramelised Shallot Pasta) there's no overwhelming taste of fishiness but if you’d prefer to leave them out then add a few more capers.

The garlic bread tastes delicious and it’s almost unbelievable that it contains no butter. I’ve made it many times since to go with other dishes.

This dish works well with white or wholewheat spaghetti and is mainly made from ingredients you'd find in your cupboard; convenient if you haven’t been shopping in a while*.

★ ★ ★

* Jamie Oliver’s version of puttanesca contains a few fresh ingredients like parsley, chilli and lemon but I’ve cooked the dish without them and it still tastes great.

Recipe credit

30 Minute Meals (affiliate link) by Jamie Oliver.

Advertisem*nt

Recipe

  • Prep30m
  • Cook10m
  • Total40m
Serves: 4

Ingredients

Puttanesca

  • 500g dried spaghetti
  • small tin of tuna in olive oil (around 150-200g)
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tbsp capers, drained
  • small tin of anchovies in olive oil (approx 30g)
  • 1-2 fresh red chillis
  • 1 handful of fresh parsley
  • 1 handful of pitted black olives
  • 2 tins of chopped tomatoes (800g)
  • a pinch of ground cinnamon
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 lemon

Garlic Bread

  • 1 ciabatta loaf
  • small handful of fresh parsley
  • salt and pepper
  • 2-4 cloves of garlic (to taste)
  • extra virgin olive oil

Ganache

  • 200g dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
  • knob of butter
  • 300ml single cream
  • 3 clementines
  • a pinch of salt
  • biscuits for dipping

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) and fill and boil the kettle. Place a large frying pan on a low heat and fill a saucepan with the boiled water and a pinch of salt.
  2. Garlic ciabatta: Slice 1 ciabatta loaf three quarters deep, making cuts at 2cm intervals, and then finely chop a small handful of fresh parsley. Scrunch up a large piece of greaseproof paper and dampen it under a tap. Open it up on a flat surface, oil it and place the bread on top. Sprinkle the parsley over the top with a pinch of salt and pepper and then pour over a generous drizzle of olive oil. Crush 2-4 garlic cloves on top and then smear the mixture over the bread, making sure it gets inside all of the incisions. Finally, wrap the bread up in the greaseproof paper and put it into the oven to cook for around 20 minutes.
  3. Chocolate ganache: Place a large heatproof bowl on top of the saucepan with the boiling water (making sure that the water doesn't touch the bowl). Break up 200g of dark chocolate and place it in the bowl, along with a knob of butter, 300ml of single cream, a pinch of salt and the grated zest from 1 clementine. Give everything a good stir and leave it to melt.
  4. Spaghetti: Put 500g of spaghetti into the saucepan and cook it according to the instructions on the packet. Pour the oil from a tin of tuna into the frying pan and then crush 2 cloves of garlic, adding it to the frying pan along with 1 tablespoons of capers, the anchovies from a 50g tin and their oil (don't be alarmed if it looks like there is a lot of oil).
  5. Chop 1-2 red chillis (seeds optional) and stalks from the parsley then add them to the frying pan. Chop the parsley leaves and put them to one side. Once the garlic starts to get a little colour, add the tuna, breaking it up a little, then add a handful of pitted black olives, 2 tins of tomatoes (800g), a pinch of cinnamon and some black pepper.
  6. Chocolate ganache: The chocolate should have melted by now so remove it from the heat and give it a good stir. Decant the mixture into small pots or espresso cups, then halve the remaining clementines and put them on a board along with the biscuits and ganache. Take them to the dinner table then check on the bread.
  7. Spaghetti: Once the pasta has cooked, drain it and reserve some of the water. Add the pasta to the frying pan, then squeeze over the juice from 1 lemon and add most of the parsley, mixing well. If the sauce feels very thick add some of the reserved spaghetti water to loosen it up. Pour the spaghetti into a large bowl and finish with the remaining parsley.
  8. Garlic ciabatta: Remove the bread from the oven and then take it to the table along with the spaghetti. Enjoy with a bottle of red wine.

Have you tried?

Main dishWagamama's Chilli Prawns with Noodles recipe
Main dishJamie Oliver's Tuna Meatballs recipe
Main dishJamie Oliver's Keralan Veggie Curry recipe
Main dishSmoked Salmon And Lemon Risotto recipe
Main dishPesto Salmon with Broccoli and Tomatoes recipe
Main dishAnna Jones's Cauliflower Pizza recipe

Jamie Oliver's 30 Minute Meals: Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca recipe (13)

Have you made Jamie Oliver's Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca?

Share a photo with #hotcooking and tag @hot.cooking

Share this recipe:

Advertisem*nt

Jamie Oliver's 30 Minute Meals: Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca recipe (2024)

FAQs

Jamie Oliver's 30 Minute Meals: Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca recipe? ›

Puttanesca sauce is a sweetly simple sauce made from a delicious combination of tomatoes, black olives, capers, anchovies, onions, garlic, and Italian herbs. The recipe is easy to make, not requiring too much cooking time while still developing a spicy and fragrant taste.

What are the ingredients in a puttanesca sauce? ›

Puttanesca sauce is a sweetly simple sauce made from a delicious combination of tomatoes, black olives, capers, anchovies, onions, garlic, and Italian herbs. The recipe is easy to make, not requiring too much cooking time while still developing a spicy and fragrant taste.

What does pasta puttanesca mean in Italian? ›

It is an easy sauce, briefly cooked, and is very fragrant and spicy. Puttanesca translates as “in the style of the whor*.” The name derives from the Italian word puttana which means whor*. Puttana in turn arises from the Latin word putida which means stinking.

Why is puttanesca so good? ›

What's so special about puttanesca sauce? While I love the added briny flavors from kalamata olives and capers in this tomato-based pasta sauce, I consider anchovies to be the secret ingredient. They're what distinguishes puttanesca from any other red sauce you may be familiar with.

What to pair with puttanesca? ›

Pairing puttanesca sauce with rustic Italian reds such as Primitivo or Nero d'Avola would support the “if it grows together it goes together” philosophy. Just keep in mind that the peppery heat of the dish will be amplified by higher alcohol wines.

What is a substitute for anchovies in puttanesca sauce? ›

What Can I Use Instead Of Anchovy In Puttanesca? There really is no perfect substitute for the anchovies in Puttanesca sauce, but you can use miso paste, fish sauce or even just a little extra salt. Some say seaweed makes for an excellent vegan substitute.

Do Italians put anchovies in their red sauce? ›

You are very likely to come across this dish in Italy, especially in the Southern regions. It is typically made of tomatoes, black olives, capers, and anchovies along with garlic and sometimes a little bit of red chili pepper to add some spice. Different versions eliminate anchovies or call for other ingredients.

Does Rao's make a puttanesca sauce? ›

Product details

The Rao's Puttanesca Sauce will go nicely with a variety of pasta dishes for a hearty meal. This all-natural sauce is a good source of Vitamin C. The 24-oz gluten free sauce is also low in saturated fat.

Is puttanesca good for you? ›

Pasta Puttanesca is packed with tomato nutrition

Cooked with a little oil, the nutrients become more available for your body to use them. Fresh and canned tomatoes improve health by reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer.

What country is puttanesca from? ›

Spaghetti alla puttanesca (Italian: [spaˈɡetti alla puttaˈneska]) is an Italian pasta dish invented in Naples in the mid-20th century and made typically with tomatoes, olive oil, olives, anchovies, chili peppers, capers, and garlic, with vermicelli or spaghetti.

What wine goes best with spaghetti puttanesca? ›

Spicy pasta sauces

With hot spicy sauces such as arrabbiatta, aglio olio e peperoncino (garlic, oil and chilli) and puttanesca (anchovies, capers and olives) try either a sharply flavoured dry white wine or a rustic Italian red: a Primitivo or Sicilian red, Zinfandel or Valpolicella Ripasso.

What is the taste of puttanesca? ›

Hailing from Southern Italy, puttanesca is a punchy sauce made from store cupboard ingredients. Salty capers, anchovies and olives mingle with a sweet tomato sauce before being tossed though just cooked pasta.

How long does puttanesca sauce last in the fridge? ›

Once you've put it out, ideally you should eat it within 4 hours. If you allow any leftovers to cool, make sure to refrigerate in a container with a lid and chill. You can keep leftovers of Spaghetti alla Puttanesca in the fridge for approximately 3 days or so.

What does puttanesca taste like? ›

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca tastes like the most bold and intense tomato sauce you've ever tried. In addition two two kinds of tomatoes (paste and peeled whole canned), there are capers, anchovies, olives, and peppers going on as well. It is briny and acidic, garlicky and so very flavorful.

Who made puttanesca sauce? ›

But the definitive albeit anecdotal answer to this conundrum may lie in an article published by Annarita Cuomo in the Ischia daily, Il golfo, in February, 2005: “Il sugo 'alla puttanesca' nacque per caso ad Ischia, dall'estro culinario di Sandro Petti,” “Puttanesca sauce was born by accident in Ischia, the child of ...

What sauces have anchovies in them? ›

These foods may contain anchovies:
  • Worcestershire sauce.
  • Barbecue sauces made with Worcestershire.
  • Caesar salad and Caesar dressing.
  • Caponata (Sicilian eggplant relish)
Nov 2, 2022

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Ms. Lucile Johns

Last Updated:

Views: 6022

Rating: 4 / 5 (61 voted)

Reviews: 84% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Ms. Lucile Johns

Birthday: 1999-11-16

Address: Suite 237 56046 Walsh Coves, West Enid, VT 46557

Phone: +59115435987187

Job: Education Supervisor

Hobby: Genealogy, Stone skipping, Skydiving, Nordic skating, Couponing, Coloring, Gardening

Introduction: My name is Ms. Lucile Johns, I am a successful, friendly, friendly, homely, adventurous, handsome, delightful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.