Pasta alla Puttanesca
Puttanesca is a fast, punchy Neapolitan pasta sauce built from a handful of storecupboard staples: tomatoes, black olives, capers, garlic, chilli and (usually) anchovy, tossed through spaghetti. It comes together in the time it takes the pasta to boil, roughly 15 to 20 minutes, and the olives are not a garnish here but the backbone of the dish. If you keep a decent jar of olives and a tin of capers in the cupboard, you are almost always ten minutes from dinner.
The name has a cheeky reputation, but there is no need to get tangled up in the folklore. What matters is that this is a genuinely southern Italian recipe, most associated with Naples and the island of Ischia, and its whole character comes from salt, brine and a little heat balanced against sweet tomato. It is honest, cheap, meat-free (if you leave the anchovy out) and deeply satisfying.
Which olives, and why they matter
Puttanesca lives or dies on its olives. You want a proper brined black olive with real bite, not the soft, dull, lye-cured black “table” olives sold pitted in cans, which bring colour but almost no flavour. In Italy the traditional choice is the Gaeta olive, a small purple-black olive from southern Lazio with a soft flesh and a clean, slightly tart taste. Do bear in mind that a variety’s name points to a growing tradition, not a strict border, so if you cannot find Gaeta, you are in good company reaching for another honest brined olive.
Good stand-ins include Kalamata (Greek, glossy and fruity), Taggiasca (small Ligurian olives, mild and buttery) or a mixed Provençal black olive. Whatever you choose, buy them with the stones in and pit them yourself if you can be bothered, the flavour is noticeably better. Give each olive a press with the flat of a knife and the stone pops out. If you would like to go deeper on choosing between them, our olive varieties guide lays out the main types side by side.
| Olive | Character | Use in puttanesca |
|---|---|---|
| Gaeta | Soft, tart, purple-black | The traditional choice |
| Kalamata | Fruity, firm, glossy | Excellent, widely available |
| Taggiasca | Small, mild, buttery | Gentler, less punchy |
| Canned black “ripe” | Soft, mild, little flavour | Best avoided |
Ingredients
This serves 4 generously. Amounts are a starting point, taste as you go, because olives, capers and anchovies all vary in saltiness.
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Spaghetti (or linguine) | 400 g | Dried, good bronze-die if you can |
| Extra-virgin olive oil | 4 tbsp | Plus a drizzle to finish |
| Garlic | 3 cloves | Thinly sliced |
| Anchovy fillets (optional) | 4–6 | In oil; leave out for a vegetarian/vegan version |
| Dried chilli flakes | ½–1 tsp | To taste |
| Tinned plum tomatoes | 400 g | Hand-crushed, or good passata |
| Black olives, pitted | 150 g (roughly a cup) | Gaeta, Kalamata or similar, halved |
| Capers | 2 tbsp | Rinsed; salted ones soaked first |
| Flat-leaf parsley | Small handful | Chopped, to finish |
How to make it, step by step
- Boil the pasta. Get a large pan of water on and salt it, but go easy, the sauce is already salty from olives, capers and anchovy. Cook the spaghetti to just short of al dente, since it will finish in the sauce.
- Start the base. While it boils, warm the olive oil in a wide frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the sliced garlic and chilli flakes and cook gently for a minute or two until fragrant but not browned, burnt garlic turns bitter.
- Melt the anchovies (if using). Add the anchovy fillets and stir for about a minute. They will dissolve into the oil and disappear, leaving a savoury depth rather than a fishy taste. Leaving them out is perfectly traditional in some households and gives you a vegan dish.
- Build the sauce. Tip in the tomatoes, crushing any whole ones with a spoon. Add the olives and capers. Simmer for around 10 to 12 minutes until slightly thickened and glossy.
- Bring it together. Drain the pasta (save a mugful of the cooking water) and add it straight to the sauce. Toss over the heat for a minute, loosening with a splash of pasta water until every strand is coated.
- Finish. Off the heat, stir through the parsley and a final drizzle of good extra-virgin olive oil. Taste, add pepper, and only add salt if it truly needs it. Serve at once.
Traditionally puttanesca is served without cheese, the flavours are already bold and Parmesan would muddy them. If you want to gild it, a few extra olives scattered on top never hurt. A bright, unfiltered olive oil to finish makes a real difference; see our notes on choosing an extra-virgin olive oil for the finishing pour.
Pasta alla Puttanesca: common questions
Can I make puttanesca without anchovies? Yes. The anchovies add a savoury, umami depth, but plenty of cooks leave them out, and the olives and capers still carry the dish. Without them it is vegetarian and vegan. If you miss the savouriness, a spoon of the olive brine or a little more caper helps.
What kind of olives are best for puttanesca? Firm, brined black olives with real flavour, traditionally Gaeta, but Kalamata or Taggiasca work well. Avoid the soft canned black “ripe” olives, which add colour but little taste. Pit them yourself for the best result.
Which pasta should I use? Long dried pasta is traditional, spaghetti most of all, with linguine or bucatini also excellent. The sauce clings nicely to long strands. Cook it just under al dente so it finishes in the sauce.
Why is my puttanesca too salty? Olives, capers and anchovies are all salty, so it is easy to overdo it. Salt the pasta water lightly, rinse salted capers, and taste before adding any extra salt at the end. A little pasta water and olive oil can round out an over-seasoned sauce.