My father's family is Italian and a long-term goal of mine is to learn more authentic Italian dishes. I know there is a great family recipe for Italian wedding soup, as well as pizzelles (thin, snowflake-like cookies), and panettone (holiday fruitcake). One of my favorite dishes to put together is actually my mother's Puttanesca Pasta recipe. It's simple, extremely flavorful, and really comforting.
Puttanesca
Yields enough sauce for about 1lb. of pasta
One large can of diced tomatoes
One flat of anchovies
One jar kalamata olives, pitted if available
Half of one jar capers
About 1/2 cup of parsley, finely chopped
1 tbs. butter
A few cloves of garlic, minced
Spaghetti or Linguine
Grated parmigiano reggiano, for sprinkling
*I usually just put this recipe together by feel, so my apologies for the loose measurements. Also, I find the brininess of the olives and capers to be enough, but feel free to add salt if desired. If you like your puttanesca with a bit of a kick, add a few drops of chili oil.
In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, adding olive oil and garlic. After the garlic sautés, add the anchovies to the pan and mash with a fork to create a paste. Next, add the tomatoes, capers, olives, and parsley. Let the sauce reduce and adjust heat accordingly. In a pot, bring water for the pasta to a rolling boil. Cook pasta until al dente and transfer directly to saucepan with a pair of tongs. Toss the pasta to coat. Once plated, add grated parmigiano. Enjoy immediately, or as leftovers, when the flavors have melded together even more.
Until next time,
Francesca
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