Spaghetti alla Puttanesca: Family Lore, Sardines, and Southern Italian Spirit
A Dish with a Not-So-Innocent Past
Pasta alla Puttanesca isn’t just bold in flavor—it comes with a side of scandalous lore. The name itself hints at a rather “spirited” history, with stories swirling about how this dish came to be. Some say it was whipped up in the bustling backstreets of Naples for those living life on the wild side. Others claim its irresistible aroma was known to draw in crowds for reasons best left to the imagination. Let’s just say, if you’re curious about the details, a quick search will reveal plenty of colorful theories!
Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
Traditional Ingredients—With Our Family Twist
A classic Neapolitan Puttanesca usually features:
Olive oil
Garlic
Anchovy fillets (but we swap these for sardines)
Capers
Black olives (Gaeta or Taggiasca)
Chili flakes (peperoncino)
Tomatoes (San Marzano if you can find them)
Parsley (optional, for garnish)
In our kitchen, we love putting our own spin on tradition. Instead of anchovies, we reach for a can of good-quality sardines—oil and all—for extra depth. Sometimes we’ll add Italian tuna in oregano olive oil for even more flavor. It’s a nod to the way Mark’s mom made the most out of every ingredient, turning pantry staples into something special.
Our Family’s Version: Tuna Fish Pasta Memories
Growing up, our version was affectionately known as “tuna fish pasta with red sauce.” Raised by a single mom, Mark and his sister learned that a can of tuna, a splash of red sauce, and some pasta could stretch a long way. It became a Friday night staple during Catholic holidays. Even though cousin Patty—who was as close as a sister to Nonna Cheryl—loves to joke about Mark’s mom’s cooking (and she’s earned that right as Cheryl’s first cousin), it was Patty’s mom, Aunt Jo, who wore the culinary crown in the family. Still, those simple meals are tied to some of our very best memories.
Evolving the Recipe: From Pantry Staple to Italian Favorite
With more trips to Italy and a better-stocked pantry, our puttanesca has grown up, too. Now we reach for Italian tuna, dry-cured or Castelvetrano olives, capers for brightness, and always those trusty sardines. The secret? Rinse the olives and capers to keep the salt in check, and don’t add extra salt until you’ve tasted the sauce. Sometimes, all those briny ingredients are all you need.
Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
Ingredients
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2 oz Olive Oil
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1 tsp Chili Flakes
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0.5 ea Onion, sweet
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3 ea Garlic cloves
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1 tin Sardine
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2 tbl Tomato Paste
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1 jar Tuna
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1 ea Olives, dry cured
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2 tbl Capers
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3 ea Olive, castlevetrano
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8 oz Wine, white
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24.5 oz Tomato Puree
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12 oz Water
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4 tbl Parsley, chopped fine
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4 tbl Basil, chopped fine
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1 lb Spaghetti, # 11 DeCecco
Instructions
- In a sauce pan with a high rim add the oil while on medium heat with the chili flakes
- Dice the onion and add to the pan when the chili flakes begin to sizzle.
- After a few minutes, when the onions have begun to cook through, add a whole can of sardines (with all the oil). Stir to break up and partially dissolve the sardines.
- Peel, and thinly slice the garlic on a mandolin. Add to the pot and allow to cook and melt in for a few minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and mix in to toast the paste.
- Deglaze with white wine, preferably Italian.
- Add the tomato puree and then rinse out the bottle with water and add to the sauce.
- Rinse the brine off the capers and stir into the sauce.
- Remove the pits from the black olive and split it in half; add to the pot.
- Break the tuna up into pieces by hand and add to the sauce. Add the oil from the jar also.
- Season with black pepper and 1 tablespoon of the diced parsley. NO Salt!
- Break up the pitted green olives by just pincing them and letting them look rustic.
- Boil the water for the pasta and season it with a little salt.
- Cook the pasta.
- Add half of the remining chopped parsley and the chopped basil to the sauce and stir in.
- Add the pasta to the sauce while it's al dente, then finish cooking in the sauce. Adjust the consistency with the pasta water if needed.
- Plate up your pasta and finish with the remaining chopped herbs and a drizzle of olive oil.
Notes
• We don't use any salt in this recipe. The olives and preserved seafood are salty. We taste at the end before adding the pasta to see if it needs any. Usually, it does not.
• This is a quick pasta, should take less than 30 minutes to get this from start to finish and on the table.
• John is seven and likes fish, but we don't use any anchovies in this recipe. It's a nice substitute to use Sardines, a little potent fish flavor, but not exactly traditional.
• John is not so much into spicy yet, so we keep it kinda mild, but feel free to add more chili flakes and crank the heat up.
How to Serve: Fresh Herbs, No Cheese
Tradition says cheese stays off seafood pastas like this. We love to finish our puttanesca with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and basil for a burst of color and freshness. The result is a vibrant, meatless pasta that’s become a family favorite—no unsavory behavior required.
Why You Should Try It
We think Spaghetti alla Puttanesca is all about making the most of what you have, with a wink to its mischievous origins. It’s a dish that proves simple ingredients and a little creativity can create something truly memorable. And if you want to know how it rates, just ask John for his signature thumbs up, sideways, or down. After John finished his second helping and gave his top rating—two hands wide open with all ten fingers showing for a perfect “10”—we politely let him know there was fish in the pasta. His eyes lit up like someone who’d just been tricked into trying something new, but he laughed and reaffirmed his rating with another enthusiastic “10.”
