Easy Spaghetti Puttanesca

Name: Easy Spaghetti Puttanesca
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 pound spaghetti; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 clove garlic (crushed); 2 oz. anchovies (cut into three); 2 oz. black olives (pitted, quartered); 1 tablespoon capers; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 7 tomatoes (diced); 2 tablespoons Fresh Parsley (finely chopped, without stems); 2 cups canned tuna; ½ lemon (juice)

If you want to make a quick and easy evening meal, try this spaghetti Puttanesca. This classic Italian dish is rich in flavor and can be made in less than 25 minutes. The flavors are exceptionally delicious, salty, and spicy with umami, yet fresh. The ingredients are very simple and easy to come by. A real Italian surprise.

A photo from above of spaghetti with a rich tomato sauce (Puttanesca). A gold fork pierces the plate. A white background.

Easy Spaghetti Puttanesca: A Simple and Tasty Recipe

If you're looking for a quick and easy pasta dish, you really should try this Spaghetti Puttanesca. I still remember being surprised when I tasted it for the first time in a romantic little restaurant in Italy. The flavors were rich and so delicious. Anyway, I had to try this. I have had this version that we all enjoy for several years.

The secret of a good spaghetti Puttanesca is in the sauce, which consists of tomatoes, a good olive oil, garlic, olives, anchovies, and capers. You bake a delicious sauce with fresh lemon, parsley, and a pinch of cinnamon to make a rich sauce that goes perfectly with spaghetti. The result will surprise you, and I'm sure you will make this again and again, just like we do!

What does Puttanesca mean?

Puttanesca literally means 'in the manner of a prostitute' in Italian. There are several stories about its origin.

The first is that a well-known restaurant owner in Ischia, received a group of customers at a late hour, close to closing time. The owner had few ingredients in the kitchen, so he told his customers he didn't have enough ingredients to make a meal. They still insisted and said, 'facci Una puttanata qualsiasi' or 'Make us whatever prostitute mess.' And with the now well-known ingredients, spaghetti was put on the table, which would be renamed into Spaghetti Puttanesca.

A second story says that the name is derived from the ingredients always present in a brothel's pantry. Who knows which story is true may say so.

What do you need for Italian Pasta Puttanesca?

To prepare this Easy Spaghetti Puttanesca, you require the following ingredients. You can find the correct amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the blog:

Ingredients Easy Spaghetti Puttanesca, individually labelled on a white background

Spaghetti: an Italian pasta, a long thin round pasta string.
Tomatoes: Fresh sweet, firm and nice, and juicy. Plum and Roma tomatoes taste delicious and are highly recommended for the Puttanesca sauce.
Garlic: for a bit of spice in the sauce.
Anchovies: Has a distinct taste, salty, umami, and a hint of fish. It is an ingredient often used to give a dish more flavor.
Black olives: Give a bite to the spaghetti Puttanesca. In addition, they have a salty and earthy taste, perfect in combination with the other flavors in the sauce.
Parsley: For a fresh flavor accent.
Capers: these deep green balls are fresh, peppery, and spicy. They are the unopened flower buds of the caper plant.
Cinnamon: It has a sweet, woody flavor with a hint of lemon.
Tuna: Use canned tuna. You can buy this with olive oil, sunflower oil, or water. It doesn't matter much for the result, but tuna in water is slightly slimmer.
Lemon: For a fresh taste and a hint of citrus.

How to prepare Spaghetti with Capers, Olives, and Anchovies

You can find a printable recipe with a step-by-step description at the bottom of this blog.

4 collage photo preparation Easy Spaghetti Puttanesca

Put some olive oil in the pan and heat. Add the capers, garlic, anchovies, olives, cinnamon, and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
Add the tomato cubes to the sauce. Put the lid on the pan and let it simmer until the tomatoes fall apart.
Then add the spaghetti, parsley, and tuna. Stir everything well and, if necessary, heat over low heat until hot.
Serve the Pasta Puttanesca with a delicious tomato salad and fresh Parmesan cheese.

Tips, Substitutions, and Variations

TIP: Use good quality ingredients. Fresh garlic, Roma, or plum tomatoes, which are well-ripened, and good olive oil. This dish is all about pure flavors.
Also tasty: Add three tablespoons of red wine to the sauce.
Spaghetti: Can also be substituted for linguine.
Spicy: If you want to give the sauce more spice, add fresh pepper.
Seafood Puttanesca: Add shrimp or other seafood to the sauce.
Vegetables Puttanesca: If you want extra vegetables, add roasted peppers, zucchini, or eggplant to the Puttanesca sauce.

What ingredients does a classic Spaghetti alla Puttanesca contain?

Olive oil, anchovies, capers, olives, garlic, and tomatoes are added to the sauce, the sugo alla Puttanesca. Although in Napoli, the anchovies are often omitted, and chili peppers are added in Lazio.

A height photo with a pink plate with Spaghetti alla Puttanesca. A fork has spaghetti wrapped around it. A pink white tea towel, fresh basil and glasses on a white background.

Did you make this recipe? Tag #byandreajanssen via Instagram. I enjoy seeing what your creation looks like. Video recipes can be found on my YouTube channel. And don't forget to save the recipes on Pinterest so you can easily find them next time!