Thursday, February 07, 2008

Pasta in the Way a Whore Would Make It

There are varying opinions why Pasta Puttanesca is known as the food of italian whores. What can be agreed upon is that sweetly roasted tomatoes, salty olives, spicy red pepper and pungent garlic make this saucy little dish is a taste worth trying.
My version of Puttanesca practically cooks itself. There is a wee bit of chopping involved but I consider that time with my cutting board my daily therapy session. Though this recipe is not as saucy as an italian whore there is only one change that I would make. My plate was sadly sans capers and those briny little balls were sorely missed. Please enjoy! (Just don't tell your mother, it would kill her.)




Practically Puttanesca
Serves 2
1 dry pint of cherry tomatoes, cut into fourths
6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 small tin of anchovies, minced
1/4 cup of capers (I forgot to add this, it would have made my pasta perfect)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp dried basil
2 Tblsp Olive Oil
6 oz thin spaghetti
1/3 cup kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place your tomatoes, garlic, anchovies, capers, pepper flakes, and basil in a 9 inch glass pie plate tossing gently to combine. Drizzle with the two Tblsp of olive oil and pop the whole mess in the oven for thirty minutes. While your sauce cooks put a large pot of salty water on to boil cook pasta according to package directions. Toss cooked pasta and sauce in a large bowl with the kalmata olives and parsley. Serve by red candlelight.

2 comments:

mary mary said...

Interesting story on the origins of the name... makes sense too. God knows I love the smell of anchovies on the breath of my favorite prostitutes!

Anonymous said...

Looks delicioso. Finally a pasta I can relate to. I must try it :)