Pasta alla Puttanesca, a variation on...

Cheat's Fast Fresh Pasta alla Puttanesca

I was really hungry after work and wanted something quick and easy - comforting pasta came to mind.  Knowing I had a discounted bag of fusili and some tomatoes in the fridge, but also knowing I didn't want to faff around defrosting my home made sauce, or use shop bought, I improvised one of my favourite dishes.

A Non-standard reduction sticker, but at 25% of normal cost, I don't mind.

Finest* ripe tomatoes for half the price.  Nice.

So I picked up the bag of fresh fusili above for 30p, and those lovely high grade piccolo tomatoes as well at half price.  Bar my, unorthodox, ingredients, more of which later, everything else came from the store cupboard. 

"alla Puttanesca" means "in the manner of a prostitute" - I have no idea what the origin of the term is but it seems to be recent.  One theory is if you're too much of a sk**k to go to the market, you use what's in the cupboard.  Olives, capers, anchovy, garlic, chilli and tomato ragout form the basis of it.

The proper way to make the sauce, and some recipe variants, can all be found online of course, But here's my alternate take on it.

Ingredients (per person)

Tonight's ingredients.  Not quite the classic Italian, but...

• 2 Handfuls of fresh pasta.  Tonight I used fusili but spaghetti is more authentic.
• 6-8 small piccolo tomatoes, chopped.  Any ripe tomato would do but a ragout made with onion, chilli and garlic is, again, nearer the mark for authenticity.
• 2 anchovy fillets, chopped
• 6 olives, chopped.  I used jarred green but black, unstoned, are tastier.
• 1 dash of chilli sauce.  I've used a nice fruity habanero sauce for extra firepower and flavour.
• 1 heaped tsp capers.
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil to dress.
• Herbs - oregano, thyme, basil, parsley, etc.  Probably cook those in your ragout if making from scratch if dried, and use fresh to serve.  See below*

  

Here's where I experiment:

• 1 small portion of feta cheese, crumbled.  This dish would maybe be served with a dusting of Parmesan but not outright lumps of cheese, let alone a Greek cheese.
• 1 tsp pesto sauce - *As I was out of even dried herbs, this gave the dish a bit of extra flavour despite it not being a classic ingredient of puttanesca sauce.
• 3 large iceberg lettuce leaves, chopped.  Bit of a risk but I think this will work; lettuce isn't just for salad - I've made soup with it, for instance.

Method

Boil the pasta for 5-8 minutes if fresh, or however long it says for dried, probably about 12 at a guess.

Meanwhile chop all the ingredients up and add some oil and the pesto to a small bowl.  Combine the ingredients thoroughly.

Our "sauce" taking shape.  Note my blue t-shirt in foreground (not essential to recipe)

When the pasta is ready, drain, reserving some of the water, and add the pasta to the sauce / salad.  Mix well, and add a little dash of the reseved cooking water.

Serve

*munch*

Yum yum.  Light, fresh, salty, savoury, spicy.

Yum.  This hit the spot perfectly.  Not too salty - the olives and capers are mellowed by the fresh tomato and lettuce, making it quite light.  The feta cheese melts slightly in the liquid and with the heat of the pasta, and the pesto gives it body, texture and herby goodness.  There's just a slight kick from the chilli as well.

Absolutely perfect - I could not have asked for a nicer ad-libbed supper.  It's even better when made with a proper tomato/garlic/onion slow cooked sauce.  Tuna also works well with this recipe, but I was feeling very satisfied.  Again, yum.