Spaghetti and chicken meatballs in red pepper sauce
🍽 Serves 4◆ Easy
30-minute meal recipes · Italian recipes
Classic pasta puttanesca
One of the most famous pasta dishes of all time, pasta puttanesca includes the very best of Italian ingredients – namely anchovies, garlic, capers, olives and tomatoes. This classic dish most likely hails from the Italian region of Campania, although neighbouring region Lazio also lays claim. Some versions are made without the anchovies – but we thoroughly recommend including them. The story goes that this was prepared in brothels by the women working there in between clients – either because the smell was so delicious that it would attract more punters, or because it was quick to make using readily available ingredients. Or perhaps both! Browse our recipe tour of Italy’s 20 regions for more traditional dishes.
Dairy-free
Serves2
Hands-on25 min
DifficultyEasy
Method
Bring a large pan of heavily salted water to the boil. Heat the oil in a separate, high-sided frying pan and gently sizzle the garlic until soft – only about 30 seconds. Add the anchovies (be careful, they might spit a little) and stir until melted and dissolved into the oil. Add the chilli flakes (if using), pour in the tomatoes, then swill out the tin with about 150ml water and add that too. Add the olives and capers then simmer for 15-20 minutes.
After 10 minutes of the sauce simmering, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 8 minutes, or until al dente. Use tongs to remove the spaghetti and put it straight into the puttanesca sauce. Toss to combine, then divide between bowls and sprinkle over the chopped parsley and some extra cracked black pepper.
Nutrition
| Calories | 561kcals |
|---|---|
| Fat | 28g (4.2g saturated) |
| Protein | 15g |
| Carbohydrates | 58g (7.3g sugars) |
| Fibre | 6.5g |
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