Pasta Puttanesca is a Southern Italian dish with mixed olives, anchovies and red onion and parmesan. Mouthwatering and ready in minutes!
Last week I was surfing Pinterest (shocking) when I spotted a bright, beautiful plate of pasta out of the corner of my eye. I knew even before I clicked that it was a Pioneer Woman photo. I love how her pictures of food feel effortless, stand out in a crowd, and are are totally mouthwatering to look at.
At any rate, I clicked over and indeed, it was her recipe for Pasta Puttanesca!
Pasta Puttanesca is a Southern Italian pasta dish that combines mixed olives, anchovies (don’t you dare click that red x!) parmesan cheese, garlic and red onion for an incredibly flavorful dish that’s inexpensive, but totally impressive.
Start by chopping a heaping 1/2 cup mixed olives. The Pioneer Woman used a mortar and pestle to mash them up, but I just chopped them finely with a knife. A food processor would be great too.
Next, finely chop four anchovy filets. Anchovies are not fishy tasting. At least none that I’ve ever had. They just taste briny and super savory. You’d never know they were in this pasta dish, but are needed to achieve the correct Pasta Puttanesca flavor, ya dig?
Meanwhile, Ben crumbled up 4 ounces of parmesan cheese,
while I got the rest of the ingredients ready for the pasta. 1 1/2 cups halved grape tomatoes (wellll, maybe a little less – they’re so poppable!) and 1/2 sliced red onion.
From here the dish came together in less than 10 minutes. Add 8 ounces bucatini to boiling, salted water.
Bucatini is a hoot. It’s basically hollow spaghetti and when you slurp the strands up, wind whistles through ’em like a straw. So much fun!
While the pasta cooks, brown the red onion in olive oil.
Add the tomatoes and cook for a couple minutes until they’re slightly softened.
Pour in 3/4 cup chicken broth then let it reduce for a couple more minutes, before adding in the chopped olives, anchovies, and 2 garlic cloves.
Finally, pour in the cooked and drained pasta, and 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
Then top with the parm and toss.
Swirl onto a plate, sprinkle with fresh basil and slurp away!
This is a FABULOUS meatless main! The flavor of the olives and anchovies is so satisfying, and the tomatoes & basil were the best fresh contrast.
Ben and I both slurped this up (and giggled like 10 year old at the whistling pasta.) ;)
Yet another win for the Pioneer Woman! Ben gets excited every time I make one of her recipes. They’re always such crowd pleasers, and are so easy to whip together. The woman can do no wrong!
Gloria hernandez 03.16.2017
This looks delicious and appears easy to make. Cannot wait to make it.
Low-Carb Taco Boats | Iowa Girl Eats 03.06.2012
[…] RIP Whole Hearts. […]
jill 02.27.2012
i love pioneer woman!!! i have to confess, i saw your post for the stuffed shells and got the craving!! But it sounded too much like spaghetti and meat sauce recipe….soooooo i looked up some recipes and the pioneer woman had a recipe that sounded just right! It was awesome…lots of cheese, wine, italian sausage, fresh herbs, homemade sauce. I actually started the sauce a couple hours before supper time to allow it time to simmer and become Perrrrrfect!! Just a suggestion if you ever want a stuffed cheesy shell recipe. YUM!!
Amanda 02.27.2012
I bought the Whole Hearts cereal on Saturday….box half gone already! Can’t just eat one bowl! Love!
Michelle 02.27.2012
Ellie Krieger; Bethenny Frankel; YOU; Pioneer Woman :D
Tracy 02.27.2012
Do you do anything with the remaining anchovies in the can?
Iowa Girl Eats 02.27.2012
I froze them! Now that I think about it though, I should have chopped them all up then froze…oh well!
Randi 02.27.2012
YUMMO!!! I bought the stuff for this pasta this weekend. I saw the recipe on her blog last week. I loved it!!! Awesome that you enjoyed it too.
I like Giada and Rhee too, Barefoot Contessa I could take or leave…
Teresa K. 02.27.2012
Jacques Pepin and Lydia B. from Lydia’s Italy – especially Jacques’ quicky 1/2 hour meals – how does he do it? I can never chop as quickly as he does – soooo amazing. I just love Lydia’s travels mixed into her show and oh man – can you imagine eating at her house? Maybe the ranch in Italy?
Birds Nest 101 02.27.2012
Ahhhhh this looks like a dish my inlaws and my parents would love! I wish they were coming for dinner this weekend because I would make this, I will tuck it away for another time. Instead breakfast is on the menu!
corey @ learning patience 02.27.2012
um…what was the recipe?????
I got completely distracted by 5 DOLLAR ESSIE!!!!!
Holey Moley girl – awesome!!!
xoxo from Trinidad
Jen 02.27.2012
hey! how many frozen bananas did you put in the mini food processor? We have that size and I’ve been wanting to use it for banana ice cream since ice cream for two is a disaster in our blender. I was unsure if it would work until seeing this post!
Iowa Girl Eats 02.27.2012
It will fit one banana! :)
Jen at Cabs and Dogs 02.27.2012
Sorry IGE, I love you, but this recipe is NOT meatless. :-(
Iowa Girl Eats 02.27.2012
If you define fish as meat, then no it’s not!
Gina @ Running to the Kitchen 02.26.2012
You hit my top 3! Love Giada and Barefoot Contessa for their simple and short ingredient lists. That pasta looks insanely delicious!