Sometimes it’s Friday and your refrigerator is empty, and you don’t feel like cooking, but would rather eat something homemade than order a pizza. I call that puttanesca time. Made entirely of pantry staples and requiring almost no prep, this simple pasta is as easy at is delicious. Just throw the ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning and you’ll come home to a delicious meal with bold flavor and intense aroma.
Puttanesca is easily adaptable to whatever you have on hand. Feel free to adjust it to your own taste and supplies. For example, you could substitute 1 teaspoon of garlic powder or a tablespoon of jarred, minced garlic as a replacement for the 3 garlic cloves. If you don’t have anchovies on hand, you can use a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, or fish sauce. I love the mild flavor of black olives, but Kalamata or green olives would work too.
Puttanesca
4
10 minutes
8 hours, 30 minutes
8 hours, 40 minutes
2 tablespoons olive oil (30 ml), divided
3 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
3 anchovy filets OR 1 tablespoon (15 g) anchovy paste
28 oz. (800 g) can diced tomatoes, drained
½ cup (100 g) sliced black olives
1 teaspoon (7 g) salt
½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper
½ teaspoon (1 g) crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon (1 g) dried oregano
3 ½ cups (840 g) vegetable broth
2 tablespoons (18 g) capers
16 oz. (450 g) linguini
Grease the inside of a 5-quart slow cooker with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add garlic, then anchovies, tomatoes, olives, and capers. Sprinkle on salt, black and red pepper and oregano and pour in vegetable broth.
Cook on low for 8 hours.
Add noodles, capers, and remaining tablespoon olive oil to the pot and stir thoroughly.
Recover and cook an additional 30 minutes. Taste, adjust seasoning as desired, and serve.
Fresh herbs add a pop of color and flavor that makes that simple dish even better. Sprinkle the finished Puttanesca with 2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh Italian parsley or basil.
