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Bucatini Puttanesca ~ Spicy One-Pot Pasta

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Bucatini Puttanesca ~ a deliciously easy one-pot pasta dish with a simple but zesty sauce and loads of fresh tomatoes, olives and capers. www.savingdessert.com anchovy | red pepper | bucatini pasta | spaghetti | cherry tomatoes | kalamata olives | capers | meatless monday

Bucatini Puttanesca ~ a deliciously easy one-pot pasta dish with a simple, zesty sauce and loads of kalamata olives, capers and fresh cherry tomatoes.

Meatless Mondays don’t need to be boring! While I wholeheartedly enjoy any kind of pasta with tomato sauce, we don’t eat it on a regular basis … which is a shame because it’s just so darn good! If you’re like us, a simple 30-minute meal is a must sometimes, so why not incorporate that into a nice Meatless Monday one-pot pasta?

 

Bucatini Puttanesca ~ a deliciously easy one-pot pasta dish with a simple but zesty sauce and loads of fresh tomatoes, olives and capers. www.savingdessert.com anchovy | red pepper | bucatini pasta | spaghetti | cherry tomatoes | kalamata olives | capers | meatless monday

First of all, I don’t think this recipe could get any easier.  Sauté garlic, anchovies, red pepper and oregano in a few tablespoons of olive oil, and then add vegetable or chicken broth and the pasta.  The aroma of this mixture cooking in your kitchen will transport you to one of those tiny, real-deal Italian restaurants with the white tablecloths, bottles of red wine and cannoli for dessert.   This cooks up in about 10 minutes and then add a tablespoon of tomato paste and fresh cherry tomatoes.  Pull the pan off the heat and add olives, fresh basil and capers.  Done, done and done!

Not sure anchovies are your thing?  I would love to twist your arm and get to you try this dish because it will change the way you think about anchovies.  You only use 2 anchovy fillets in this recipe, but they impart so much flavor, and I don’t mean the fishy kind.  Be sure to buy the good quality (more expensive) anchovies packed in oil.  I have another recipe to share with you next week that includes a few more anchovies so get ready 🙂

 

Bucatini Puttanesca ~ a deliciously easy one-pot pasta dish with a simple but zesty sauce and loads of fresh tomatoes, olives and capers. www.savingdessert.com anchovy | red pepper | bucatini pasta | spaghetti | cherry tomatoes | kalamata olives | capers | meatless monday

This recipe serves two very hungry folks, or two regular helpings with a little left over for the next day.  Leftovers taste good enough to fight your husband for the last bite!

Bucatini pasta is a thick spaghetti noodle with a little hole through the center.  If you can’t find it in your local store, regular spaghetti would work great here too.

 

Bucatini Puttanesca ~ a deliciously easy one-pot pasta dish with a simple but zesty sauce and loads of fresh tomatoes, olives and capers. www.savingdessert.com anchovy | red pepper | bucatini pasta | spaghetti | cherry tomatoes | kalamata olives | capers | meatless monday

Finally, I’m going to make one last pitch to try and convince you to make this recipe … this Bucatini Puttanesca has tons of flavor with just the right amount of heat. Or, as my husband said, it has more flavor than heat, and it wasn’t overpowered by the heat – it’s just perfect!  He also said I should use a bigger pot next time (a/k/a make more please.)  Maybe I will!

 

Don’t forget to PIN to your favorite pasta board!

Bucatini Puttanesca ~ a deliciously easy one-pot pasta dish with a simple but zesty sauce and loads of fresh tomatoes, olives and capers. www.savingdessert.com anchovy | red pepper | bucatini pasta | spaghetti | cherry tomatoes | kalamata olives | capers | meatless monday

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Bucatini Puttanesca

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
Yield: 2
Course: Main Course, Meatless Monday
PRINT RECIPE
a deliciously easy one-pot pasta dish with a simple, zesty sauce and loads of kalamata olives, capers and fresh cherry tomatoes

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 anchovy fillets (oil packed)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can vegetable or chicken broth, (low or no salt)
  • 6 ounces bucatini or thick spaghetti
  • 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil leaves
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
  • 12 pitted kalamata olives, sliced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons capers, drained
  • dash salt
  • fresh ground black pepper to serve
  • shaved Parmesan cheese for garnish

Instructions

  • Heat a large, high-sided skillet (wide enough for the pasta to lay flat) over medium heat.  Add the olive oil and once shimmering, add the garlic, anchovies, oregano and red pepper.  Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly and breaking up the anchovies with the spatula.  
  • Add the broth and the bucatini to the pan and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the tomatoes and tomato paste.  Cook for another 3-5 minutes or until the pasta is done.    
  • Remove the skillet from the heat and add the basil, parsley, olives and capers.  Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.  Serve immediately with shaved Parmesan if desired.

Recipe Notes

Recipe adapted from March, 2016 Cooking Light Magazine
TIP:  Did you know you can freeze leftover tomato paste?  Scoop 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and place it on a small parchment lined baking sheet.  Continue until all the paste is mounded on the pan.  Flash freeze the paste by putting the pan in the freezer for a few hours or until each mound is frozen solid.  Remove to an airtight container or freezer bag.  Each time you need 1 tablespoon, you have a pre-measured easy fix!

Looking for a few more good, easy pasta recipes?  You might like these too:

Here’s a link to the pasta I used in this dish:

The small print: If you decide to purchase something at Amazon after following my affiliate link, I receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you, which I use to pay for web hosting and services for this blog.

And finally, did you watch the game last night?  We rooted for the Falcon’s.  Poor Atlanta, I wish they would have won!  Do you have a favorite commercial?  A few of them were pretty good.  Anyway – hope you have a fantastic week and  thanks so much for stopping by!

Tricia

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37 Comments

  1. Dan DiP says

    The sauce is spectacular. I made this 3 times, 1x without anchovies, and 2x with. Don’t leave them out; you’ll definitely notice the difference. And I don’t like anchovies whole, but when disintegrated in the sauce they add something that otherwise can’t be had.

    I did have trouble with the bucatini – I bought homemade bucatini and they needed only about 5 minutes to cook. And one time for fun I added a half bag arugula at then end with the capers and olives.

    Otherwise, this is something else. This made enough as a side dish with some grilled swordfish and broccoli.

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  11. Angela says

    Thanks for reminding me of this lovely dish. Rachel Ray’s was my go to receipe for years, but I had put it aside and forgot about it. I’ll give your receipe a try this week, sounds yummy.

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  14. Monica says

    Whenever I don’t know what to make, I always think pasta because it’s just so good! This looks amazing, Tricia. We love bucatini pasta (need to buy some…just saw it this weekend) and we’re fans of anchovies, spice, olives, etc. All delicious things in this bowl! My husband and I would gobble this right up!

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  16. sue | theviewfromgreatisland says

    I could polish off that whole bowl in one big slurp! I love the strong flavors of puttanesca, and buccatini is such a good choice, it really stands up to it. I’m a relatively recent convert to anchovies, and I like to keep a tube of the paste in the fridge, it lasts forever and it’s always there when I need it. Love your photos, sharing and pinning!

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Weeknight Dinners Made Easy

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Tips & recipes for delicious meals...

no matter your skill level!