Slattern's Spaghetti
by Nigella. Featured in KITCHENIntroduction
My version of pasta alla puttanesca has had a slight name change. And yes, I realise that it’s not really necessary to translate the title, as this store cupboard standby of pasta with anchovies, olives, capers, garlic, chilli flakes and tinned tomatoes is widely enough known, but humour me: Slattern’s Spaghetti it now is!
Although you will often see its Italian name explained as meaning “whore’s pasta” in English, the general consensus seems to be, however, 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 cans and jars. Whatever you call it, it is as flavoursome to eat as it is easy to cook. Do add more fire, in the form of chilli flakes if you wish, though I should warn that even if the first mouthful doesn't seem that hot, the fieriness builds up as you eat. And you can fiddle around with quantities as pleases you generally; vegetarians and vegans, for example, can just leave out the anchovies and maybe bump up the olives and capers a bit.
I recently had a twitter conversation with one Jim Hewitt (@jimbarleycorn) about the new name for this, and I gratefully end with this fabulous message of his: "On those days when my mum couldn't be bothered to brush her hair and cooked dinner using whatever was in the cupboard she would say: "Hush. I'm slatterning!" This is perfect for a slatterning day."
My version of pasta alla puttanesca has had a slight name change. And yes, I realise that it’s not really necessary to translate the title, as this store cupboard standby of pasta with anchovies, olives, capers, garlic, chilli flakes and tinned tomatoes is widely enough known, but humour me: Slattern’s Spaghetti it now is!
Although you will often see its Italian name explained as meaning “whore’s pasta” in English, the general consensus seems to be, however, 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 cans and jars. Whatever you call it, it is as flavoursome to eat as it is easy to cook. Do add more fire, in the form of chilli flakes if you wish, though I should warn that even if the first mouthful doesn't seem that hot, the fieriness builds up as you eat. And you can fiddle around with quantities as pleases you generally; vegetarians and vegans, for example, can just leave out the anchovies and maybe bump up the olives and capers a bit.
I recently had a twitter conversation with one Jim Hewitt (@jimbarleycorn) about the new name for this, and I gratefully end with this fabulous message of his: "On those days when my mum couldn't be bothered to brush her hair and cooked dinner using whatever was in the cupboard she would say: "Hush. I'm slatterning!" This is perfect for a slatterning day."
Ingredients
Serves: 6 (or 4 if teenagers are present)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 anchovy fillets
- 2 cloves garlic (peeled and finely sliced, crushed or grated)
- ½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
- 500 grams spaghetti
- 1 x 400 grams can chopped tomatoes
- 140 grams (drained weight) pitted black olives (chopped a bit) - I like the dry-packed ones
- 2 tablespoons small capers (rinsed and drained)
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (to serve - optional)
- Maldon sea salt flakes (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 anchovy fillets
- 2 cloves garlic (peeled and finely sliced, crushed or grated)
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 14 ounces can diced tomatoes
- 1¼ cups (drained weight) pitted black olives (chopped a bit) - I like the dry-packed ones
- 2 tablespoons small capers (rinsed and drained)
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (to serve - optional)
- kosher salt (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
Method
- Put water for pasta on to boil, though you don’t need to get started on the sauce until it is pretty well boiling.
- Pour the oil into a pan that can, for ease, take all the ingredients later; I use my wok-like stir-fry pan for this. Put over a gentle heat.
- Add the anchovies and cook for a minute or so, pressing and pushing with a wooden spoon all the time, until the anchovies have almost “melted” into the oil. Then add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook, stirring, for another minute.
- 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.
- Going back to the sauce, add the tomatoes, olives and capers and simmer fairly gently for about 10 minutes, stirring every now and again, by which time it will have thickened slightly. Taste for seasoning.
- If you're using a wok-shaped pan or similar, you can use tongs or a pasta claw to lift the spaghetti straight into the sauce. Otherwise, just before the pasta is ready, remove a cup of cooking water, and reserve it. At any rate, mix the drained spaghetti and sauce together, adding a little reserved pasta water, as needed, to help everything emulsify. 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.
- Put water for pasta on to boil, though you don’t need to get started on the sauce until it is pretty well boiling.
- Pour the oil into a pan that can, for ease, take all the ingredients later; I use my wok-like stir-fry pan for this. Put over a gentle heat.
- Add the anchovies and cook for a minute or so, pressing and pushing with a wooden spoon all the time, until the anchovies have almost “melted” into the oil. Then add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook, stirring, for another minute.
- 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.
- Going back to the sauce, add the tomatoes, olives and capers and simmer fairly gently for about 10 minutes, stirring every now and again, by which time it will have thickened slightly. Taste for seasoning.
- If you're using a wok-shaped pan or similar, you can use tongs or a pasta claw to lift the spaghetti straight into the sauce. Otherwise, just before the pasta is ready, remove a cup of cooking water, and reserve it. At any rate, mix the drained spaghetti and sauce together, adding a little reserved pasta water, as needed, to help everything emulsify. 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.
Additional Information
MAKE AHEAD:
The sauce can be made 2 days ahead. Transfer to a non-metallic bowl to cool, then cover and refrigerate as soon as possible. Reheat gently in a large saucepan, frying pan or wok, stirring occasionally, until piping hot.
FREEZE:
The cooled sauce can be frozen in a resealable container for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in fridge and reheat as above.
MAKE AHEAD:
The sauce can be made 2 days ahead. Transfer to a non-metallic bowl to cool, then cover and refrigerate as soon as possible. Reheat gently in a large saucepan, frying pan or wok, stirring occasionally, until piping hot.
FREEZE:
The cooled sauce can be frozen in a resealable container for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in fridge and reheat as above.
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Show more commentsIf you have no anchovies on hand (which I often don’t), I find that Vietnamese fish sauce works as a great substitute, being, after all, extracted from anchovies as well. Love this recipe!
I’m making this for my dinner tonight, it’s one of my favourites. I can’t wait, 2 hours to go!
Excellent will definitely make it again, didn’t make any changes.
Making this for the 2nd week running, it's becoming a family favourite, and so easy to make, love it, many thanks!
This recipe is precisely the reason I love hearing from you! Thanks as always, Nigella, for a delicious dinner choice and for an out-loud laugh in reading about it!
I just saw this on a rerun and made it for dinner, It was delicious I will definitely add this to my recipe book
Love this, made twice in one week! Very easy and very quick.
I'm a lover of spaghetti and all things briny, so this is right up my alley! I always have everything needed on hand anyways , so this is great for nights I didn't plan anything! I threw in a can of artichoke hearts (chopped) and it was delicious!
I love this store cupboard meal as I always have the ingredients. We had a canal boat for a few years and it was one of the meals I made on each trip for the friends we had on board, easy and impressively tasty - just how I like my recipes. I love Nigella's recipes and love to watch her cook.
It was delicious! I made a Slut's Spaghetti with my own personal salacious touch incorporating lime juice, sun dried tomatoes, roasted pine nuts, parmesan and arugola... which worked out percectly! ;-) I also added alot of dried chilli peppers as I like it hot!
I had a vegan friend over for dinner, and I made this omitting the non-vegan anchovies -- and it was terrific -- highly recommended!
I do not like anchovies or black olives, but I like spicy things and I love Nigella so I thought I would try, so glad we did!! So easy to make yet such a robust, complex flavor, perfect. I adjusted recipe to roughly one cup black olives, 2 1/2 T of olive oil and 36 oz of diced tomatoes and extra 1/2T of japanese hot pepper spice, togarashii, along with 1/2 t of red pepper flakes. I am fantasizing about lunch already. Thanks Nigella for sharing and making be brave to try something out of my comfort zone!