Thursday, November 2, 2023

Spaghetti alla puttanesca 🤩❤️



There are recipes whose flavor is given not only by the simple and skilful mix of ingredients, but also by the legends that accompany them, such as fettuccine Alfredo, spaghetti alla Nerano, arrabbiata or the famous puttanesca! The unique flavor of spaghetti alla puttanesca is given by the savory condiment that surrounds them: peeled tomatoes, olives, capers and anchovy fillets. But it is also the unusual name of the pasta that makes it even more delicious and arouses curiosity about its origins, disputed between Lazio and Campania. The hottest and most imaginative stories want them to have been born in the environments of closed houses, as a very quick dish to prepare with a few simple ingredients. Others would trace it back to the culinary fantasies of Antonio De Curtis, aka Totò. Still others trace the first forkful of spaghetti alla puttanesca to Ischia in the famous Rangio Fellone restaurant around the 50s: here one evening they would have been prepared with what was left in the pantry and the term colorful would indicate the type of improvised, easy and very quick preparation. Since then, it seems that it has become part of the restaurant's menu and has also spread beyond the island as one of the first courses of the Italian culinary tradition.

INGREDIENTS

Spaghetti 320 g
Peeled tomatoes 800 g
Anchovies in oil 25 g
Salted capers 10 g
Parsley 1 Bunch
Olives 100 g
Garlic 3 Cloves
Dried chili pepper 2
Extra virgin olive oil 30 g
Fine salt to taste

PREPARATION

To make the puttanesca, first rinse running water under the capers to remove excess salt, then dry them and chop them coarsely with a knife. Take the pitted olives and crush them with the blade of a knife. Wash, dry and chop the parsley. Put a pot full of water on the stove to boil to cook the pasta. In a large frying pan, pour the oil, the whole peeled garlic cloves, the chopped dried chilli pepper and anchovies. Add the desalted capers. Sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring often, so that the anchovies will melt and release all the aromas. At this point, pour in the lightly crushed peeled tomatoes, stir with a spoon and cook for another 10 minutes over medium heat. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti al dente. When the sauce is ready, remove the garlic cloves and add the crushed olives. Flavour the sauce with chopped fresh parsley. When the pasta is al dente, drain it directly into the pan and sauté it for half a minute, just long enough to mix all the flavors. Spaghetti alla puttanesca is ready to serve piping hot!

PRESERVATION
I recommend eating spaghetti alla puttanesca right away. If there are any leftovers, you can store them for a day in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap. Freezing is not recommended.

ADVICE
Spaghetti alla puttanesca is already quite savory, so I recommend that you do not add more salt to the sauce. When tomatoes are in season, you can make a good fresh sauce.

 

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