Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
A 20-minute pantry sauce: garlic and anchovies sizzled slowly in plenty of olive oil, then capers, black olives and hand-crushed San Marzano tomatoes, with the spaghetti finished in the pan.
Wikipedia calls spaghetti alla puttanesca a dish invented in Naples in the mid-20th century. Its ingredients are much older: a recipe in Ippolito Cavalcanti's 1844 Neapolitan cookbook combines vermicelli, oil, olives, capers and anchovies, and the Touring Club Italiano's 1931 food guide lists it as maccheroni alla marinara. The name came later. The first known mention is in Raffaele La Capria's 1961 novel Ferito a morte, and a 2005 article in the Ischia newspaper Il Golfo credits Sandro Petti, co-owner of the island restaurant and nightspot 'O Rangio Fellone, with inventing the sauce in the 1950s.
Puttana is a rude Italian word for a prostitute, and the name's story is as messy as you would expect. The legend says it was a quick meal in the brothels of Naples' Quartieri Spagnoli. Kenji López-Alt, whose recipe this is, calls the version where the smell lured customers "apocryphal, or at least wildly inaccurate." The food historian Jeremy Parzen, quoted by Wikipedia, has a plainer theory: Italians use the word like a swear, so it might simply mean "I threw a bunch of stuff from the cupboard into a pan."
Why it works the kitchen science
A slow start
Sizzling the garlic and anchovies gently in a lot of oil melts the anchovies into the fat and flavors the oil before anything can burn; tomatoes go in the moment the garlic tans.
Little water, more starch
Cooking the pasta in a skillet of water concentrates the starch, which helps the sauce thicken and cling when the pasta is finished in the pan.
Step by step
- Step 1
In a medium skillet, combine 4 tbsp oil with the garlic, anchovies and pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat, keeping it at a gentle sizzle, about 5 minutes, until the garlic is very lightly golden.
- Step 2
Stir in the capers and olives, then the tomatoes right away so the garlic stops browning. Bring to a bare simmer, about 2 minutes, and take the pan off the heat.
- Step 3
Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a 12-inch skillet or saucepan of lightly salted boiling water until 2 minutes short of the package time.
- Step 4
Move the spaghetti into the sauce with tongs (or drain it, keeping 1 cup of the water) and add a few tablespoons of pasta water.
- Step 5
Set the pan over medium-high heat and toss at a hard simmer 1 to 2 minutes, adding pasta water as needed to keep it loose, until the pasta is al dente and the sauce clings.
- Step 6
Off the heat, stir in the last 2 tbsp oil, the parsley and the cheese. Season with plenty of black pepper and very little salt, and serve with more cheese.
Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
Serves 2 · 2 generous plates (3 light) · 20 min total
Sauce
- 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced or finely chopped by hand
- 4 to 6 oil-packed anchovy fillets, finely chopped
- Large pinch red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup capers, drained and chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped pitted black olives
- 1 cup canned whole peeled tomatoes (preferably San Marzano), broken up by hand
Pasta and finish
- Salt, for the water
- 8 oz dried spaghetti
- Small handful fresh parsley, minced
- 1 oz finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan, plus more for serving
- Freshly ground black pepper
Method
- In a medium skillet, combine 4 tbsp oil with the garlic, anchovies and pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat, keeping it at a gentle sizzle, about 5 minutes, until the garlic is very lightly golden.
- Stir in the capers and olives, then the tomatoes right away so the garlic stops browning. Bring to a bare simmer, about 2 minutes, and take the pan off the heat.
- Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a 12-inch skillet or saucepan of lightly salted boiling water until 2 minutes short of the package time.
- Move the spaghetti into the sauce with tongs (or drain it, keeping 1 cup of the water) and add a few tablespoons of pasta water.
- Set the pan over medium-high heat and toss at a hard simmer 1 to 2 minutes, adding pasta water as needed to keep it loose, until the pasta is al dente and the sauce clings.
- Off the heat, stir in the last 2 tbsp oil, the parsley and the cheese. Season with plenty of black pepper and very little salt, and serve with more cheese.
Adapted from J. Kenji López-Alt, "Spaghetti Puttanesca (Spaghetti With Capers, Olives, and Anchovies)," Serious Eats (published February 25, 2016, updated July 14, 2026), serves 2 to 3. We follow it as written: 6 tbsp olive oil (4 for the sauce, 2 to finish); 4 garlic cloves and 4 to 6 anchovy fillets cooked with red pepper flakes about 5 minutes; 1/4 cup each chopped capers and black olives; 1 cup whole peeled tomatoes; 8 oz spaghetti cooked 2 minutes shy of the package time and finished 1 to 2 minutes in the sauce; parsley and 1 oz pecorino or Parmesan. The optional canned tuna is left out here. Serious Eats. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
All sources (2)
Tips
- Slice or chop garlic by hand; López-Alt says pressed or grated garlic burns before it can flavor the oil.
- Oil-packed anchovies are fine here because they dissolve.
- Go easy on salt: capers, olives, anchovies and cheese bring plenty.
- López-Alt adds an optional 5-oz can of oil-packed tuna with the tomatoes.
The rules people argue about
What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.
- The name comes from Naples' brothels. Disputed: Wikipedia gives the brothel story and Parzen's swear-word theory; López-Alt calls the brothel version apocryphal.
- Sandro Petti invented it on Ischia in the 1950s. Disputed: one 2005 newspaper claim (Il Golfo, via Wikipedia); the ingredients appear together in Neapolitan cookbooks from 1844.
- Puttanesca has anchovies. Disputed: Wikipedia says the Neapolitan version is made without anchovies, unlike the version popular in Lazio; López-Alt uses them.
- No cheese on puttanesca. Disputed: López-Alt says some purists object and adds pecorino anyway.
- The name first appeared in 1961. Documented as the earliest known mention (La Capria's novel, via Wikipedia).
Every other pasta
Roman Spaghetti alla Carbonara (Guanciale, Egg Yolks, Pecorino, No Cream)
Spaghetti tossed with crisp guanciale and its fat, then stirred over a pot of boiling pasta water with egg yolks, Pecorino Romano, Parmigiano-Reggiano and coarse black pepper until the eggs thicken into a glossy sauce, with no cream at all.
Spaghetti all'Amatriciana, the Amatrice Way (No Onion, No Garlic)
The recipe the town of Amatrice publishes: guanciale browned in an iron pan with a piece of chile and a splash of white wine, peeled tomatoes simmered briefly, and spaghetti tossed first with a heap of grated pecorino, then with the sauce.
Cacio e Pepe (Pecorino and Black Pepper, the Never-Clumps Method)
Spaghetti in a smooth, sharp sauce of nothing but Pecorino Romano, toasted black pepper and pasta water, held together by a teaspoon of cooked cornstarch so it cannot seize into clumps.
Spaghetti alle Vongole in Bianco (Spaghetti with Fresh Clams)
Live clams steamed open in olive oil, garlic, chile and white wine, the meat pulled from most of the shells, and spaghetti finished in the briny juices with parsley and a fresh drizzle of oil.
Trenette al Pesto with Potatoes and Green Beans (Genoa)
Genoese basil pesto pounded in a mortar from garlic, pine nuts, basil, Parmigiano, sheep's cheese and mild olive oil, tossed with trenette boiled in the same pot as cubes of potato and short lengths of green bean.
American Fettuccine Carbonara with Bacon, Cream and Peas
Fettuccine in a creamy sauce of half-and-half and tempered eggs cooked to 160°F, with crisp bacon, onion, garlic, Romano and sweet green peas: the carbonara most Americans grew up with, made on purpose.
Penne alla Vodka
A smooth, blush-orange sauce of slowly softened onion, a whole tube of tomato paste, canned tomatoes and heavy cream, blended silky, spiked with a quarter cup of vodka and finished with Parmigiano on penne or rigatoni.
Baked Ziti (No-Boil, with Ricotta and Mozzarella)
Ziti soaked in hot salted water instead of boiled, stirred into red sauce with ricotta, Parmigiano, eggs, cream, herbs and cubes of mozzarella, then baked covered and uncovered at 400°F until bubbling and browned.
Shrimp Scampi with Linguine
Shrimp quickly brined and seared, then tossed back into linguine with a silky sauce of olive oil, a lot of garlic, chile, dry vermouth, butter and lemon, finished with parsley.
Chicken Parmesan over Spaghetti
Thin chicken cutlets soaked in garlicky buttermilk, coated in crumbs of dried Italian bread and Parmesan, shallow-fried crisp, then baked at 425°F under red sauce and fresh mozzarella and served on a bed of spaghetti.
Linguine with White Clam Sauce (Canned Clams)
The pantry clam sauce: canned clams and bottled clam juice simmered with butter, celery, shallots, garlic, parsley and a splash of soy sauce, with linguine finished in the broth and lemon wedges on the side.
Pasta Primavera (Spring Vegetables, Pine Nuts and Creme Fraiche)
Fresh egg pasta with blanched fava beans, peas, asparagus, snap peas and broccolini, tossed with butter, garlic-scented pine nuts, creme fraiche, lemon, basil, parsley and Parmigiano: a lighter, greener take on Le Cirque's famous 1970s dish.
Weeknight Blistered Cherry Tomato Pasta
Two pints of cherry tomatoes cooked in garlicky olive oil until they burst into a sweet, creamy sauce, tossed with pasta, fresh basil and Parmesan while the pasta boils in a skillet: about 25 minutes, start to finish.
Copycat Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara, Inspired by Olive Garden
Inspired by, not official: crispy Parmesan-panko chicken and shrimp tossed with spaghetti or bucatini in a reduced cream, bacon and Parmesan sauce with roasted red peppers, a "carbonara" made with no eggs at all.
Meatballs of the World
Italian-American Meatballs
Big, tender meatballs braised for an hour in red sauce over spaghetti. The one most Americans grew up with.
Pallottine (Abruzzo Meatballs)
Tiny meatballs, smaller than a marble, tossed right through square spaghetti alla chitarra. No bread at all.
Swedish Meatballs (Köttbullar)
Small, soft meatballs browned in butter, in a cream sauce made from the same pan, with lingonberry jam on the plate.
Danish Frikadeller
Pork meatballs shaped with a spoon and fried slowly in butter, crusty outside and soft in the middle.
Königsberger Klopse
German meatballs that are never fried: poached, then served in a creamy white sauce with capers.
Spanish Albóndigas in Almond Saffron Sauce
The tapas bar classic: small meatballs in a golden sauce thickened with fried almonds and bread.
Mexican Albóndigas with Chipotle and Mint
Soft meatballs with rice and fresh mint inside, simmered in a smoky tomato and chipotle broth.
Izgara Köfte (Turkish Grilled Meatballs)
Small, flat meatballs kneaded hard, rested cold, and charred on a hot grill pan.
Lion's Head Meatballs
Big, soft pork meatballs, stirred into a sticky paste, fried to set, then braised in a savory sauce.
Chicken Tsukune
Japan's chicken meatball: kneaded sticky, grilled on skewers, glazed with sweet soy tare, dipped in egg yolk.