Pantry Puttanesca

 Pantry Puttanesca

Yield: 4 - 6 Servings

Dairy-Free Main Dishes

Puttanesca is a true pantry dish—the recipe was literally created to use up whatever you’ve got hanging around. Tomatoes and garlic form the base of the sauce while capers and olives provide a little brininess and red pepper flakes add spice. Additional ingredients like onion, booze, anchovies, sweet peppers, and tuna are all things that I have on hand but feel free to swap in any sweet, spicy, briny, or funky ingredients you think would work.

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, finely diced
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • ¼ cup dry white wine or vodka, optional
  • 1 can (27 fl oz) crushed tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 lb dried pasta, any shape
  • ½ cup chopped kalamata olives
  • ½ cup sliced roasted red peppers
  • ½ cup sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
  • 3 tablespoons capers
  • 6 oz oil-packed tuna, drained
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped oregano, plus more for serving
  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 4–6 anchovy fillets
  • Kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, plus more for serving

Olive Oil onion garlic Anchovies Tomato Paste White Wine Tomatoes Roasted Red Pepper Olives Sun-dried Tomatoes Capers Tuna oregano Red Pepper Flakes

  1. Place a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat and add the oil. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until softened and lightly golden brown. Stir in the garlic and anchovies and cook until the anchovies break down, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to bring the flavors together.
  2. Deglaze the pan with the wine and cook down for about 1 minute to reduce the liquid by half. If you don’t have any wine on hand or are avoiding alcohol, deglaze the pan with ¼ cup water. Carefully pour in the crushed tomatoes, stir in the red pepper flakes, and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cover the pan with an off-kilter lid to allow steam to escape.
  3. While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Season well with salt and cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking liquid, then drain the pasta and set aside.
  4. Stir the olives, roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and capers into the sauce and season to taste with more pepper. You should not need more salt as the anchovies, olives, and capers are all quite salty. Add the pasta, tuna, parsley, and oregano and stir well to combine. If the sauce is a little thick, add the reserved cooking liquid about ¼ cup at a time until the sauce has a silky consistency.
  5. Serve immediately scattered with more oregano and parsley, if desired.

  • Oil-packed tuna is a real treat, especially the stuff you find in a jar, but a regular can of water-packed solid or chunk tuna would also be delish.