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Pantry Puttanesca

Dinner 🍽️Lunch 🥪 Italian 🇮🇹 Sugar-FreeComfort-FoodPescatarian 🐟

Pantry Puttanesca delivers a punchy, briny sauce with anchovies, olives, and capers simmered in tomatoes and tossed with spaghetti. It’s spicy, garlicky, and deeply savory, perfect for a quick weeknight dinner when you want big flavor from shelf-stable staples.

  • Prep5 mins
  • Cook16 mins
  • Serves4
  • DifficultyEasy
Pantry Puttanesca
  1. 1

    Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a rolling boil over high heat.

  2. 2

    As the water heats, add the olive oil to a cold skillet and stir in the garlic. Set the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant and starts turning golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the red pepper flakes, oregano, and anchovies, and cook until the anchovies start to break down, about 2 minutes.

  3. 3

    Pour the tomatoes into the skillet, raise the heat to medium-high, and bring the sauce to a simmer. Use the back of a spoon to break down the tomatoes as they cook. Simmer until the sauce reduces and comes together, about 10 minutes.

  4. 4

    Meanwhile, cook the pasta in the boiling water. Drain it while still very firm to the bite, about 9 minutes, and reserve 1/2 cup pasta water.

  5. 5

    Stir the olives and capers into the sauce, then add the pasta and toss to combine.

  6. 6

    Toss the pasta in the sauce until it is cooked through and well coated, about 1 minute. If the sauce gets too thick, stir in some of the reserved pasta water to thin it.