Pasta Puttanesca is a Southern Italian dish with mixed olives, anchovies and red onion and parmesan. Mouthwatering and ready in minutes!

DSC_0863

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.

DSC_0843

 

At any rate, I clicked over and indeed, it was her recipe for Pasta Puttanesca!

DSC_0852

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.

DSC_0787

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.

DSC_0789 DSC_0797

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?

DSC_0799

Meanwhile, Ben crumbled up 4 ounces of parmesan cheese,

DSC_0796

DSC_0803

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.

DSC_0805

From here the dish came together in less than 10 minutes. Add 8 ounces bucatini to boiling, salted water.

DSC_0810

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!

DSC_0813

While the pasta cooks, brown the red onion in olive oil.

DSC_0817

Add the tomatoes and cook for a couple minutes until they’re slightly softened.

DSC_0819 DSC_0821

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.

DSC_0830

Finally, pour in the cooked and drained pasta, and 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.

DSC_0833

Then top with the parm and toss.

DSC_0836

Swirl onto a plate, sprinkle with fresh basil and slurp away!

DSC_0838

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.

DSC_0866

Ben and I both slurped this up (and giggled like 10 year old at the whistling pasta.) ;)

DSC_0872

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!

Click here for the recipe >