A late-summer afternoon, Gio’s first record, and the most satisfying pasta dish I know. This lusty, briny puttanesca hits with bold flavor and a touch of family ritual.
It was one of those golden late August afternoons, the kind that already hints at fall but still carries summer’s warmth. Gio and I had just come back from the record shop, his very first vinyl tucked under his arm — Tupac’s All Eyez on Me. A milestone for him, and a proud dad moment for me. I watched him turn the record over in his hands, curious about what it meant to hold music in this form — heavy, tactile, permanent.
By the time we got home, the sun was slanting low, and we were both starving. For me, Pasta Puttanesca has always been the most satisfying dish. The sauce is lusty and unapologetic — anchovies melting into olive oil, briny olives and capers cutting through the sweetness of tomatoes. It’s a meal that carries weight and punch, just like the record Gio chose that day. And it reminded me that some things — music, food, family rituals — last far beyond the moment.
So, here’s how I make it.
Ingredients
1 white onion, diced
6 cloves roasted garlic, mashed into a paste
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for finishing)
Salt, to taste
Red chili flakes, to taste
6 anchovy fillets
2 cups dry white wine
1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons capers, chopped
1 (28 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes (Safeway Organics), puréed with an immersion blender right in the can
1 Parmesan rind
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pound pasta (spaghetti or linguine are classic)
Fresh basil, chopped (for garnish)
Fresh Italian parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
Start the base. In a large skillet or saucepan, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and garlic paste. Season lightly with salt and chili flakes. Cook until the onion is translucent and fragrant.
Melt the anchovies. Stir in the anchovy fillets and cook until they dissolve into the onion mixture, enriching the oil.
Deglaze and reduce. Pour in the white wine, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced and syrupy.
Add the briny punch. Stir in the olives and capers. Let them sizzle together for a minute.
Build the sauce. Add the puréed tomatoes and the Parmesan rind. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently. Stir in the dried oregano. Let the sauce cook while you prepare the pasta.
Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente, reserving 1 cup of starchy pasta water.
Marry the pasta and sauce. Remove the Parmesan rind from the sauce. Add the pasta directly into the pan of sauce, tossing to coat. Add splashes of pasta water as needed to loosen and emulsify the sauce.
Finish. Off the heat, drizzle with good olive oil, then sprinkle with chopped basil and parsley. Toss once more and serve immediately.
Some dishes never lose their pull. Pasta Puttanesca isn’t delicate — it’s bold, lusty, and layered with flavor. But maybe that’s what makes it timeless. Just like music, it’s not about being polished or perfect, it’s about the raw notes that stay with you long after the last bite. And for our family of four, we killed a full pound of pasta in one sitting — which should tell you everything you need to know about the flavor.
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