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SLUT'S SPAGHETTI

SLUT'S SPAGHETTI

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Serves: 4-6

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Well, how could I resist this translation of pasta alla puttanesca, whore's pasta as it usually is described in English? The general consensus seems to be that this is the sort of dish cooked by slatterns who don't go to market to get their ingredients fresh, but are happy to use stuff out of jars and tins. I hold my hands up to that. Or maybe one should just attribute the name gamely to the fiery tang and robust saltiness of the dish?

Please fire up the sauce if you want, but do know that even though the first mouthful might seem not quite hot enough, the heat builds as you eat. I sometimes go a little cross-cultural in my chilli-case and use hot red pickled jalapenos from a jar found on the Tex-Mex shelves of the supermarket. And while you're there, do look out for the tiny French nonpareil (or nonpareilles) capers: they may be smaller but they pack more of a pungent punch than the larger capers.

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Ingredients

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  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 8 anchovies (drained and finely chopped)
  • 2 cloves garlic (peeled and finely sliced, crushed or grated
  • ½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes (or 30ml pickled red jalapeno chilli peppers, drained, sliced and diced)
  • 500 grams spaghetti
  • 1 x 400 grams can chopped tomatoes
  • 150 grams (drained weight) pitted black olives (chopped a bit)
  • 2 tablespoons small capers (rinsed and drained)
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (to serve - optional)
  • salt (to taste)
  • pepper (to taste)
KITCHEN

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KITCHEN

Method

  1. Put water for pasta on to boil, though you don’t need to get started on the sauce until itis pretty well boiling.
  2. Pour the oil into a wide, shallowish frying pan, casserole or wok, and put on a medium heat.
  3. Add the finely chopped anchovies and cook for about 3 minutes, pressing and pushing with a wooden spoon, until the anchovies have almost “melted”, then add the garlic and chilli flakes (or sliced then diced jalapeños) and cook, stirring for another minute.
  4. This is probably the stage at which you will want to be salting the boiling pasta water and adding the spaghetti to cook according to packet instructions.
  5. Going back to the sauce, add the tomatoes, olives and capers and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every now and again, by which time it will have thicken slightly. Taste for seasoning.
  6. Just before the pasta is ready, remove about an espresso cupful of cooking water, and reserve it. When the pasta is cooked as desired, drain and add the spaghetti to the sauce in your wok or pan, adding a little reserved pasta water, if needed, to help amalgamate the sauce. Scatter with chopped parsley, if there's some to hand, and serve in slatternly style, preferably with an untipped cigarette clamped between crimson-painted lips. 

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  • Well this was absolutely beautiful! It is truly a pantry recipe. Yesterday I couldn't be bothered taking any meat out of the freezer and then I found this recipe. It was so yummy and moreish - I had everything already except the jalapeños which I didn't worry about. I may make this a lot more even just for myself for lunch. Yum!

    Posted by Mrs Price on 10th Sep 2012 at 22.11

  • I prepared it for dinner tonight and it's so easy and just simply yummy !!! I think chilies are a must in this recipe, it would just lift up all the flavours. As an Asian, I always have fresh red chillies in my fridge instead of dried. The only troublesome thing is that I've got to cook something else for my children, both under 5 yrs.

    Posted by cookwithemily on 17th Sep 2012 at 17.41

  • Heaven!!!

    Posted by Etvoilà on 1st Oct 2012 at 22.00

  • I have lost count of how many times I have made this recipe now - it's a real corker!! I use it as a base in things too.... such as shellfish stew. Try substituting the olives for fresh mussels - God it's good!

    Posted by spainbuddy on 29th Oct 2012 at 15.42

  • Lovely and so simple

    Posted by Andrea032 on 6th Nov 2012 at 18.36

  • Great - very authentic! Even just half a teaspoon of chilli flakes still packs a punch. Not sure what my wife made of my crimson-painted lips though ...

    Posted by brethawthorne on 28th Feb 2013 at 12.31

  • Delicious flavour, but I had a 375g of spaghetti and didn't have quite enough sauce. Will definitely add extra chopped tomatoes next time. This one has definitely made the rotation!

    Posted by f4tty on 2nd Apr 2013 at 10.40

  • Surprisingly delicious. Would definitely make again.

    Posted by ciaranic on 30th Apr 2013 at 9.46

  • This was downright sinfully earthy, robust, and briny. I used pitted assorted olives, not the kalamata olives as Nigella suggested one night, and then the pitted kalamata olives on another night. Family whole-heartedly agrees the pitted assorted olives gives more depth of flavor. Also added sundried tomatoes in olive oil and used the oil from the tin of anchovies for more flavor. I decided to grate the zest of a large lemon and add its juice to the sauce which balanced out the briny-ness and added some brightness to the dish. The small changes enhanced al already magnificent dish. This too will get a regular rotation at our home.

    Posted by Lipsticklibrarian on 3rd May 2013 at 4.04