What a total blast it was to share with YOU Spaghetti alla Puttanesca, my signature dish, on live TV Saturday, November 11th, 2014! "KCTS 9 Cooks: Pasta, Rice, and Grains" was the latest installment of KCTS 9's viewer-led cooking show, and it was so cool to have been a part of it. Check it out via the link above.
This quintessential Southern Italian "soul food" dish is a bold and saucy and pairs perfectly with big Italian red wines. While a majority of my cooking comes directly from home chefs such as Grandma Carm, Grandpa Rossetti, Nana, Pop, Grandma and Grandpa "P" and my dear parents Marianna and Fiore, this fiery concoction is all mine. This dish is the culmination of their method, style and love in the kitchen, as reflected through me. I really don't use exact measurements with this recipe (though I offer you some here), so feel free to follow your whimsy a bit; a little extra red pepper here or a little extra oregano there won't hurt! As always, let me know if I can help you with this in any way! Buon appetito e cent'anni!
1. Chop or mince in a garlic press 6-8 cloves of garlic. Sauté in 1/4 cup olive oil until translucent but not browned in a wide, flat pan.
2. Puree one 28 oz. can of tomatoes. Add to garlic and bring to a simmer over low-med. heat.
3. Add 1 tsp. fresh ground pepper, 1 plus tsp. red pepper, 1/3 cup coarsely chopped oil-cured black olives, 1 tin of anchovies (patted dry of oil), 3 tblsp. capers, 1 plus tblsp. oregano and simmer over low-med. for 10-15 min.
4. Cook 1 lb. spaghetti “al dente”, that is, a little on the firm side
5. Add “al dente” spaghetti to the sauce and let simmer with 3 tblsp. chopped parsley until dish melds together (1-2 min.).
6. Serve immediately with grated Romano or Parmigiano and a hearty red like Barolo, Barbaresco, or Brunello di Montepulciano.
