BUCATINI PUTTANESCA
Growing up in Europe, I have always loved a Puttanesca pasta - especially when it has tuna or anchovies in it - as I am a big fan of the salty, briny flavor of the sauce! These days, as groceries are harder to come by, I have been making it quite often – it’s almost entirely made of pantry staples, with no need for too many fresh ingredients.
If you’re not a fan of canned tuna or anchovies, I would still 100% recommend making this sauce as it’s delicious – just leave out the fish! I often make it as a simple tomato sauce, and it’s spicy, flavorful with a tang of salt from the capers! Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS
Makes 4 portions - takes about 30 mins
1 box dried Bucatini pasta (you can use any noodle, I just love the fat bucatini noodles)
Salt
Butter or Oil
1 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp chili flakes (or less, to taste)
1 large 28oz can diced tomatoes
1 small can cherry tomatoes (or a handful of fresh ones if you have it)
½ cup white wine
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 small can black olives
1 tbsp capers
1 can Albacore in oil (or 2 if you love it!)
Fresh Parsley, chopped
Fresh Basil, chopped
1 scallion, diced
¼ cup grated Parmesan
Shredded Parmesan for the garnish
PREPARATION
1. Place a large pot on the stove to boil.
2. While your water is heating, start your sauce in a large pot on the stove.
3. Over medium-high heat, heat 2 tbsp of butter or oil.
4. Add in your onion and fry until translucent. You can turn this down slightly if they begin to brown.
5. Add in your garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant but do not let it burn.
6. Throw in your chili flakes, and your cherry tomatoes. Then add in in your canned tomatoes.
7. Add in your basil, parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper at this point.
8. Sauté for a few minutes until incorporated, then toss in your wine. Your heat should still be around Medium-High, but you can adjust lower as necessary if your sauce starts to boil or spit.
9. Keep stirring your sauce so that the wine boils out and it begins to thicken.
10. At this point, your water should be boiling – so throw in a good amount of salt (at least a tablespoon but I like 2!) and add in your noodles. You’re going to boil your noodles for 2 minutes LESS than it says on your package for “al dente” noodles. That way we can finish them in the sauce later. For bucatini it will be around 7 mins in the water, 2 in the sauce.
11. While your pasta is boiling, we can finish the sauce. Turn the heat down to Medium-low and let it incorporate a bit more. It’s at the right consistency when the cherry tomatoes have burst, and the canned tomatoes have lost their shape – becoming a sauce more than individual pieces. At this point, you can taste it and see if you’d like to add more herbs or salt/pepper – just remember that your tuna is going to add salt too!
12. Once your pasta is done, use a ladle to scoop 1-1.5 ladles of the pasta water into your sauce. You need there to be enough liquid in the sauce to keep boiling the pasta, but you don’t want it overly liquid-y.
13. Once your pasta water is in, use spoon or tongs to lift your pasta from the water and place it straight into the sauce. Also add in the black olives. Turn back up to Medium-High heat.
14. Stir to combine and let the noodles finish cooking in the sauce for another 2 min, stirring every 15 seconds or so – this will let them infuse with the sauce, and the starchiness from the pasta water to thicken it. I often also add another tbsp of butter at this point, to richen it up!
15. After two mins, test a noodle to see if it’s done. If so, turn your heat down to Low, and toss in your tuna, capers and Parmesan. Stir to combine and let sit for a couple of minutes to incorporate and thicken. Also taste your sauce to see if you want it spicier, saltier or more peppery!
16. Serve topped with your scallion slices, fresh basil and parsley, and shaved Parmesan!
