Spaghetti Puttanesca

Well, I’m probably not eating today but that doesn’t mean you all can’t. I got this recipe years ago, I think from the New York Times, but now I pretty much wing it and thought I’d share it with you. It’s a great pantry meal (i.e., I keep everything in my pantry and can make it in the time it takes to boil water), hope you like it too.

1 16oz box of spaghetti (or really whatever pasta you like)
1 28oz can Whole Italian tomatoes (or a good brand of crushed – like Muir Glen, or heck, even diced would probably work too)
1 can anchovies (or maybe 5 fillets from a jar if you can find)
1 – 2T capers (rinsed and drained)
pitted kalamata olives (I prefer fresh from the olive bar but keep a jar in the pantry just in case; I’ve also used green and plain bland black ones in a pinch – I use a good handful – adjust based upon how much you like olives).
1 medium onion
parsley (decent amount of fresh, or a couple of tablespoons of dried)
basil (1 -2 T dried – Chris likes a lot of herbs)
oregano (1T dried)
crushed red pepper – a dash

Dice the onion and saute with the anchovy in olive oil in a large fry/saute pan. Break down the anchovy with the back of a wooden spoon. When onions are a bit soft, toss in pretty much everything else (if using whole tomatoes, break up with back of same spoon). When it boils, bring it down to a simmer.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. When it’s boiling, add some salt to the pot, and give it a minute to return to a boil before tossing the pasta in (it’s quicker to do it this way than salt the water from the beginning – it takes longer for salted water to come to a boil). Once the pasta is done, toss it with sauce and serve with some parmigiano reggiano atop if you like.