It’s wonderful to be able to throw together a quick meal from the pantry. If you have dried pasta and a can of tomatoes, you’re in business. I try to get some protein into all simple meals, so let’s talk about one way to do that.
The Sauce
Puttanesca is a flavorful pasta sauce that you can prepare with very little fuss. Into a skillet with some olive oil goes minced garlic, then a can of drained anchovies. Smash them up into a paste and add some canned tomatoes before the garlic gets too brown. Add some red pepper flakes, capers and kalamata olives and as soon as your pasta is ready, the sauce will be too.
I can hear the protests now, “I don’t like anchovies.” “What are capers?” First off, I would be willing to bet that you have probably eaten something that you enjoyed with anchovies in it, but you just didn’t know it. Michael’s father likes anchovies on his pepperoni pizza. That may be too much saltiness in one bite for a lot of people, including Michael. But put some anchovies in a sauce, salad dressing or a rub and it adds a special something that’s undeniable. If you’re not sure, try starting off with just a little bit. Taste and see if you don’t agree.
Capers are flower buds pickled in a salty brine. Buy them in a jar just like olives and they can hang out in your fridge until any time you need a little kick of flavor. Michael claims he doesn’t like capers, but if I grind them up in the food processor so that he doesn’t see them or bite into one whole, it’s all good. Everyone is happy. I have also experimented with putting the capers into a tea ball or small strainer so that they can lend a little flavor to the sauce while preserving them whole so that I can enjoy them.
Adding Protein
So, I said protein, right? This sauce is a natural for all kinds of fish. You could skip the pasta and just serve it with the fish, in fact. Most often, I poach some fish in the sauce just before the pasta is ready. Remove the fish and reserve a little sauce to put on top before adding the cooked pasta to the pot of sauce.
If you’re having a party and serving many people, bake the fish. If you’re out of fresh and frozen fish, toss in a can of tuna or salmon. If you’re out of pasta, try it with polenta or another grain. Can you make a version of this sauce without some of these ingredients? Of course! Can you add other ingredients? Of course! Let us know what you create.
Ingredients List:
- olive oil
- garlic
- anchovies
- red pepper flakes
- kalamata olives
- capers
- canned tomatoes
- pasta
- fish
For more on using anchovies, please read Caesar Salad next.
I’ve always known how to make puttanesca but never did. After reading this I think I’ll give it a try with pasta this weekend. But looking at all the ingredients, is it even necessary to salt the pasta water this time?
That is a good question. The sauce certainly does not need salt as the other ingredients are salty enough. I always salt pasta water because it makes a difference in the flavor of the pasta itself. If you try it without, let us know how it turns out.
Karyn, I love the idea of poaching fish in the puttanesca sauce!
I’ve always considered the anchovies as being the fish in this classic and tasty preparation. But it makes so much sense to add the extra protein and stretch your ingredients if you have the extra seafood on hand.