A quick weekday meal …. Roberto’s Perfect Puttanesca

Jane and I made this pasta last week with Roberto and I am making it at home for our supper tonight.

Jane will also be cooking this for her son Owen when he returns from the USA this week. Owen hosts a chat show here, One Night Stand every Tuesday evening and his guests have included the First Lady, Mrs Margaret Abela and HE the Ambassador of the USA, Gina Abercrombie Winstanley (in photo above with Owen)…

Here is Roberto’s recipe for a perfect Puttanesca and scroll all the way down for the irresistible result! This is a store cupboard pasta, something quick, easy and wonderfully delicious that can be prepared in no time at all. In fact rather than being a whore’s pasta, I prefer the version that the name is derived from ‘Facci una puttanata’… all about making something ‘cheaply and quickly’ !!!!

You will need :
Spaghetti or pasta of your choice, allow 110g per portion, I use Barilla thick spaghetti
150g green olives, finely chopped
4 anchovy fillets
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, finely chopped
200g tomato polpa
1 spoon capers, chopped
1/2 glass white wine
Parsley,chopped finely for garnish
Sea salt and ground pepper
Drizzle of olive oil

Sweat the garlic and onion in the olive oil over medium hear. Add the anchovy, capers and olives. Stir and add the white wine. As soon as it starts to bubble, add the tomato polpa and cook for 10 minutes. In the meantime cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Remove the sauce from the heat and immediately stir in the sauce. Season and garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

Sweat the garlic and onion….

Add the tomato polpa and mix through ….

Toss in the pasta …..

With a large serving fork and spoon, roll the spaghetti around the fork …..

And perfect puttanesca !

And Saturday’s newspaper