Spaghetti pasta alla puttanesca
- 400g (14oz) spaghetti
- 4 tablespoons (80ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 fresh chilli, finely chopped
- 10 Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- 4 anchovies, filleted (preferably use canned anchovies)
- 5g salted capers, rinsed, drained, finely chopped
- 400g fresh cherry tomatoes, halved (alternatively Italian canned tomatoes) – see note
- 2 tablespoons (4g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- Sea salt
Place a large pot with water on high heat and bring to the boil. Add the spaghetti pasta and a pinch of salt to the boiling water and cook until ‘al dente’ – refer to the cooking time specified in pasta packet instructions.
Meanwhile, place the olive oil in a large, heavy based frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden. Add the fresh chilli, olives and anchovies, meanwhile mixing well with a wooden spoon, then add the capers and cherry tomatoes, cooking for a further 7-8 minutes.
Drain the pasta, reserving 1-2 tablespoon (20-40ml) of the cooking water. Add the pasta into the frying pan and toss well over the heat for 1 minute to soak up lovely flavor, then remove from the heat. Add the cooking water and toss well. Add the finishing touch by sprinkling freshly chopped parsley on top – Buon appetito.
Note: Tomatoes need to be ripe and flavoursome for this recipe. Use quality fresh cherry tomatoes only in the summer months of the year.
