TL/DR – Puttanesca Sauce. This works on a stovetop or a slow cooker. It’s tomatoey, garlicky, anchovy—y…? And so perfectly delicious for a Meatless Monday. –
This recipe for Puttanesca Sauce works both for stove top and for a slow cooker. I prefer the stovetop because I love the intense fragrances of garlic, olives, anchovy and tomatoes as it cooks on a hot burner. The slow cooker is far more convenient and works just as well.
The best puttanesca sauce I’ve had was actually made by a Jesuit priest who was the president of the school where I taught at the time. He was concerned about anchovies and vegetarians, but I was amused that a priest was making puttanesca sauce.
This is a simple recipe. Start with oil, sauté the garlic, stir in some tomato paste and then add the rest and simmer. My secret is a dollop of butter at the end. I find it adds a really smooth finish to a tangy sauce. It’s a good recipe to halve or double, depending on your needs. It makes a LOT of sauce, so definitely freeze half of it if you plan to cook for just one or two.
The stove top recipe is shown. To make it in a slow cooker, add all of the ingredients except for the salt and butter and cook 2 hours on high or 4 hours on low, then add salt to taste and butter.
For a different take on a vegetarian pasta dish, try Pesto with Fennel and Radishes.
Puttanesca Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 T extra virgin olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 T tomato paste
- 9 - 12 anchovy filets, chopped (or 3 T anchovy paste)
- 28 oz no salt added diced tomatoes
- 28 oz no salt added tomato sauce
- 1/2 c kalamata olives, chopped
- 1/2 c green olives, chopped
- 1/4 c capers, rinsed well and drained
- 3 T fresh oregano, minced
- 1/2 t pepper
- kosher salt to taste
- 2 T butter
Directions
- Step 1 Sauté the garlic in the olive oil over medium heat for 2 minutes.
- Step 2 Add the tomato paste and anchovies and cook for one minute.
- Step 3 Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, olives, capers and oregano and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Step 4 Taste the sauce and add salt to taste.
- Step 5 Remove from heat and stir in the butter.
- Step 6 Serve over any type of pasta with grated parmesan cheese if desired.
