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Pasta alla Puttanesca

If you are after easy pasta recipes, Pasta alla Puttanesca has to be at the top of the list.

Using store cupboard ingredients, it has to be one of our favorite easy healthy recipes. You can omit the chili if desired. Meal planning tip: if you want to know how to make pasta sauce really quickly, double up on one of the basic Tomato Sauce recipes below and freeze it. Then, when you want to make Pasta alla Puttanesca, just add the extra ingredients.

Easy

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4 - 6

Ingredients:

1lb / 450g pasta (uncooked)

1 onion, diced

1 large red pepper, diced

1 small red chili, seeds removed and finely diced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 x can chopped tomatoes (about 2 cups)

4 anchovy fillets, roughly chopped

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

4 tablespoons capers

1 x 6oz / 185g can tuna in brine

4oz / 120g black olives

oil for shallow frying

Method:

Bring the pasta to the boil in a large pot of salted water. Cook according to the time specified on the packaging. The pasta should be 'al dente' - avoid overcooking it. Drain.
Whilst the pasta is cooking, brown the onion in a little oil. Allow it to soften and take on a caramel color which will give flavor to the sauce. Add the diced red pepper and chili. Cook until the pepper has softened.
Add the canned chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the anchovies and try to break them up a little until they almost 'melt' into the sauce. Add the parsley.
Finally add the tuna, capers and olives. Cook for a few minutes further until all the ingredients have heated through and the flavors have mingled.
Stir the sauce through the hot pasta.
Serve Pasta alla Puttanesca with a large green salad, Green Bean Salad or steamed broccoli - something simple that won't compromise the complex flavors of the sauce.

Meal planning tip: use leftovers from one of the following sauces as a base for your pasta sauce:

Fresh Tomato Sauce

Tomato Sauce Recipe