Spicy Tomato Spaghetti (Spaghetti alla Puttanesca)
A punchy Neapolitan classic: spaghetti tossed in a bold tomato sauce built on garlic, anchovies, olives, capers and chili. Salty, briny and fiery in all the right amounts, it comes together in under 30 minutes.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Prep the aromatics
Thinly slice the garlic, finely chop the anchovy fillets, halve the olives, and rinse the capers under cold water to wash off excess salt. Chop the parsley and set everything aside so the sauce comes together quickly.
- 4 cloves garlic
- 8 fillets anchovies
- 150 g olives
- 2 tbsp capers
- 2 tbsp parsley
✅ Done when: all ingredients are prepped and within reach of the stove
Build the flavour base
Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, anchovies and chili flakes, and cook gently, stirring, until the anchovies dissolve into the oil and the garlic turns pale gold. Keep the heat low — if the garlic browns it turns bitter and the sauce loses its sweetness.
- 60 ml olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic
- 8 fillets anchovies
- 1 tsp chili flakes
✅ Done when: the anchovies have melted into the oil and the garlic is pale gold, not browned
Simmer the tomatoes
Add the crushed tomatoes and a small pinch of salt. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce thickens and deepens in color. This slow simmer is what concentrates the flavor, so resist the urge to rush it.
- 700 g tomatoes
- to taste salt
✅ Done when: the sauce has thickened and no longer looks watery
Add olives and capers
Stir in the olives and capers and simmer for 5 more minutes so their briny flavor blends into the sauce. Taste before adding more salt — anchovies, olives and capers are already salty, so the sauce rarely needs extra.
- 150 g olives
- 2 tbsp capers
✅ Done when: the olives and capers are warmed through and the sauce smells rich and briny
Cook the spaghetti
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously, so it tastes like the sea — this is the only chance to season the pasta itself. Cook the spaghetti until , about 1 minute less than the package instructions, then scoop out a cup of the starchy cooking water before draining.
- 400 g spaghetti
- to taste salt
✅ Done when: the pasta is al dente, firm with a slight bite at the center
Toss and finish
Add the drained spaghetti straight into the skillet with the sauce. Toss over medium heat for about a minute, splashing in some reserved pasta water as needed until the sauce clings to every strand and looks glossy rather than watery. Stir in the parsley and serve right away.
- 400 g spaghetti (cooked, from step 5)
- 2 tbsp parsley
✅ Done when: the pasta is glossy and well coated, with the sauce clinging to the strands rather than pooling at the bottom
Prep the aromatics
Thinly slice the garlic, finely chop the anchovy fillets, halve the olives, and rinse the capers under cold water to wash off excess salt. Chop the parsley and set everything aside so the sauce comes together quickly.
- 4 cloves garlic
- 8 fillets anchovies
- 150 g olives
- 2 tbsp capers
- 2 tbsp parsley
✅ Done when: all ingredients are prepped and within reach of the stove
Build the flavour base
Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, anchovies and chili flakes, and cook gently, stirring, until the anchovies dissolve into the oil and the garlic turns pale gold. Keep the heat low — if the garlic browns it turns bitter and the sauce loses its sweetness.
- 60 ml olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic
- 8 fillets anchovies
- 1 tsp chili flakes
✅ Done when: the anchovies have melted into the oil and the garlic is pale gold, not browned
Simmer the tomatoes
Add the crushed tomatoes and a small pinch of salt. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce thickens and deepens in color. This slow simmer is what concentrates the flavor, so resist the urge to rush it.
- 700 g tomatoes
- to taste salt
✅ Done when: the sauce has thickened and no longer looks watery
Add olives and capers
Stir in the olives and capers and simmer for 5 more minutes so their briny flavor blends into the sauce. Taste before adding more salt — anchovies, olives and capers are already salty, so the sauce rarely needs extra.
- 150 g olives
- 2 tbsp capers
✅ Done when: the olives and capers are warmed through and the sauce smells rich and briny
Cook the spaghetti
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously, so it tastes like the sea — this is the only chance to season the pasta itself. Cook the spaghetti until , about 1 minute less than the package instructions, then scoop out a cup of the starchy cooking water before draining.
- 400 g spaghetti
- to taste salt
✅ Done when: the pasta is al dente, firm with a slight bite at the center
Toss and finish
Add the drained spaghetti straight into the skillet with the sauce. Toss over medium heat for about a minute, splashing in some reserved pasta water as needed until the sauce clings to every strand and looks glossy rather than watery. Stir in the parsley and serve right away.
- 400 g spaghetti (cooked, from step 5)
- 2 tbsp parsley
✅ Done when: the pasta is glossy and well coated, with the sauce clinging to the strands rather than pooling at the bottom
The Story Behind the Dish
Puttanesca is a Neapolitan invention from the mid-1900s, born from the pantry staples of coastal southern Italy: good olive oil, canned tomatoes, salted anchovies, olives and capers. It belongs to the family of fast trattoria dishes made quickly for hungry customers, using what was always on hand rather than what had to be bought fresh that day.
Its cheeky name has several explanations floating around Naples, none fully confirmed, which is part of why the dish keeps its sense of humor to this day. What everyone agrees on is that it is a true Neapolitan classic, loud with flavor and ready in the time it takes to boil the pasta.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It delivers maximum flavor from pantry ingredients in under half an hour, and the salty, briny, spicy balance is instantly recognizable and endlessly craveable.
💡 Fun Fact
Despite the mystery around its name, puttanesca contains no cheese by tradition — the saltiness from anchovies, olives and capers is considered seasoning enough.
Naples, Campania
40.85°N, 14.27°E
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