Pasta Puttanesca

By Mark Bittman

Updated November 4, 2025

  • Jim Wilson/The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(6,014)
Comments
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There are almost as many explanations for the origins of pasta puttanesca as there are ways to make it. Ostensibly a sauce invented and made by prostitutes, it was designed to lure customers with its powerful aroma. Whatever the origin, no better cold-weather pasta sauce has come down to us. Puttanesca can be made completely with ingredients from the larder; in fact, it can be prepared entirely without ingredients that require refrigeration, though a bit of a fresh herb at the end does help. The basis is a garlicky tomato sauce; canned tomatoes are preferable here. This is brought to a high level of flavor by the addition of anchovies, capers and olives. Red pepper flakes make things even better. The whole process is ridiculously easy.

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Ingredients

Yield:3 to 6 servings

  • Salt to taste

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

  • 3 or more cloves garlic, lightly smashed and peeled

  • 3 or more anchovy fillets

  • 1 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes

  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste

  • ½ cup pitted black olives, preferably oil-cured

  • 2 tablespoons capers

  • Crushed red pepper flakes to taste

  • 1 pound linguine or other long pasta

  • Chopped fresh parsley, oregano, marjoram or basil leaves for garnish, optional

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (3 to 6 servings)

63 grams carbs; 2 milligrams cholesterol; 386 calories; 6 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 10 grams fat; 5 grams fiber; 542 milligrams sodium; 12 grams protein; 6 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring pot of water to boil and salt it. Warm 2 tablespoons oil with garlic and anchovies in skillet over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is lightly golden.

  2. Step 2

    Drain tomatoes and crush with fork or hands. Add to skillet, with some salt and pepper. Raise heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes break down and mixture becomes saucy, about 10 minutes. Stir in olives, capers and red pepper flakes, and continue to simmer.

  3. Step 3

    Cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until it is tender but not mushy. Drain quickly and toss with sauce and remaining tablespoon of oil. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary, garnish with herbs if you like, and serve.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
6,014 user ratings
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Comments

Joan Oakland

Sorry, but "using a mortal to crush garlic" is probably my favorite spellcheck correction of all time! Picturing you up on Olympus . . . gotta get that crushed garlic somehow!

Jim

Add the crushed red peppers at the beginning, with the garlic and anchovies. It releases the full aroma from the peppers that simply boiling them at the end as the recipe calls for won't do.

CFXK

"I don't know why people use canned tomatoes." Because most of us don't have easy access to decent tomatoes (i.e., tomatoes that have not been mass produced, bred for shelf life and "perfect shape" rather than flavor, and picked green) The tomatoes used in good quality canned tomatoes are far superior to the cardboard tomatoes sold in most supermarkets.

Jessica

Delicious. I’m asking genuinely, not sure of the direction to drain the tomatoes. Seems like a waste. I did not drain and swirled a bit of water around the can to get any more tomato sauce coating the sides. It turned out fine and delicious. I simmered it down if the consistency was the worry.

ds

My God this is good! I added white wine after sautéing the garlic, anchovies, AND red pepper flakes. YES!

Max

I have sweet potatoes growing in my garden. I did a chiffonade of the leaves (VERY healthy) and added them after the garlic was lightly browned. Added a full 28 oz can of tomatoes (chopped them per the instructions) but did not drain them. When the spaghetti was about half done, I added it to the sauce. The pasta absorbed all the wonderful puttanesca.

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