Pasta alla Puttanesca

In a perfect world, I'd roll my own pasta for dinner then crush tomatoes from the yard for sauce.

In the real world there are days, even whole weeks where there simply isn't time to craft meals from scratch (or to blog, for that matter). It's at those times that I turn to a few favorites that can be whipped up in minutes, even at the end of a long, long day.

Pasta alla Puttanesca literally translates as "Whore's Pasta." Everyone has their theories about how the dish got its name, but my favorite is that it can be quickly cooked in between, um, engagements without sacrificing flavor. Quick, easy and cheap. (Yes, I really said that.)

Pasta alla Puttenesca
Serves 7-8

• 6 T olive oil
• 6-7 cloves garlic, smashed under the bottom of a beer bottle
• 4 anchovy fillets, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 diced yellow onion
• 2 large cans whole plum tomatoes (I used Muir Organic), reserving liquid to side. If you can't find plum tomatoes, any whole canned tomato can be substituted. In a pinch, even canned, diced tomatoes do that job. The reason to prefer the whole ones it that they tend to be the best tomatos, while the battered and damaged ones get diced.
• 4 tablespoons capers
• 1 t. crushed red pepper, or to taste
• 1 c. good chopped black olives. Use something from a jar, not a can.
• salt and pepper to taste
• "enough" pasta. go with something long and straight like spaghetti or linguine
• fresh grated Parmesan or Romano (optional)

The puttanesca sauce may be made in advance and reheated. It's super easy, and can be made start to finish in the time it takes your pasta water to come to boil. The pasta should be cooked right before serving.

Heat 4 T of the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Saute the smashed garlic, anchovies and onion until lightly golden. Crush the tomatoes with a fork or your hands and add them, along with the capers, crushed red pepper and olives. Cook for 10 minutes or so. Add additional reserved tomato liquid if the sauce starts getting too thick. Salt and pepper to taste.

For the pasta, fill the biggest pot you can find with water and add salt until it tastes like sea water. Bring to a rolling boil and add your pasta. Cook until al dente, then drain in a colander. Add the remaining 2T olive oil and the raw minced garlic to the bottom of a big bowl. Dump in the hot pasta and stir to coat. Pour the puttanesca sauce over top and toss thoroughly. Grate the fresh Parmesan on top.

Updated: I neglected to list the anchovies when I first posted this recipe.