This dish reminds me of my Mum because she used to make it and would tell us that ‘puttanesca’ means ‘lady of the night’ in Italian, which it does. I think the name adds bags of character to this simple dish which is yummy and can be rustled together with the contents from your store-cupboard.
Food plays such a big part in memories, well, it does for me anyway and I remember first having this dish when Mum and Dad lived in Paris, near the Bois de Bologne where, driving through at night, you would often see the ‘ladies of the night’ !
Serves four adults or two adults and quite a few kiddie portions.
Ingredients
- 400g spaghetti
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 2 tbsp capers
- 400g chopped tomatoes
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 red pepper, sliced
- 16 olives, pitted
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to pack instructions.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan, then fry the onion and red pepper over a medium heat for 5 minutes, until soft.
- Add the garlic and paprika and cook for another minute.
- Rinse the capers and add to the pan with the tomatoes and olives.
- Season, then cook for a few minutes more until heated through.
- Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce.
- Serve with a green salad.
Sarah’s Tips
Although the olives and capers add quite an adult flavour to this spaghetti, it is still a great family recipe that still works for little ones. My eldest loves olives but the little one just picks them out, chews them, takes them out and puts them to one side … or perhaps the floor! You can freeze this recipe so, make double and freeze one!
Photo Credit: Metzecki
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