Italian · Sauce · All year
Puttanesca
4.6 · community
10m
Prep
15m
Cook
Easy
Level
150
Energy
The pantry's loudest sauce: anchovies melted into oil with garlic, olives, capers, and tomato. Salty, briny, unapologetic, and done before the pasta is.
What you need
Ingredients
Servings
4
Before you start
Mise en place
Yield: About 600 ml
Equipment
Small saucepan
Whisk
Prep checklist
Garlic — sliced
Olives — pitted, halved
Capers — rinsed
3 steps
Method
1
Melt the anchovies into warm oil with garlic and chili over medium-low, mashing, until they dissolve completely — 2 minutes. Nobody will taste "fish"; everybody will taste depth.
2 min — timer available in cooking mode
2
Add tomatoes, olives, and capers; simmer 10–12 minutes to a loose, chunky sauce.
11 min — timer available in cooking mode
3
Finish with parsley. Taste before salting — the brine trio usually got there first.
From the pass
Chef's notes
Taste before serving and adjust salt and acid — the last 30 seconds of seasoning matter more than any single ingredient.
Afterwards
Keep, reheat & pair
Storage
Airtight jar in the fridge, 3–5 days. Press plastic wrap onto the surface of starch-thickened sauces to stop a skin forming.
Freezing
Most sauces freeze 2–3 months; freeze in ice-cube trays for single portions. Emulsified butter/egg sauces don't freeze — they break on thawing.
Reheating
Reheat gently over low heat, whisking; butter- and egg-based sauces split when boiled. Loosen with a spoonful of warm water or stock.
Make ahead
Most sauces keep 3–5 days refrigerated and freeze in ice-cube trays for instant single portions. Emulsified butter sauces are best made within the hour.
Wine pairing
Follows the dish it dresses.
Beer pairing
Follows the dish it dresses.
On the plate
Serve it with
Sides
Spaghetti
Spooned over baked cod
Bruschetta topping
Garnish
A final swirl of butter or oil
Fresh herbs
Taste map
Flavour profile
Sweet
1
Salty
3
Sour
2
Bitter
0
Umami
4
Heat
0
Per serving
Nutrition
150
kcal
4g
protein
12g
carbs
10g
fat
3g
fiber
520mg
sodium
Just for you
Your notes
Understand it
Lessons behind this dish
Keep exploring
Related