Fusilli Alla Puttanesca
5
- Prep Time10 min
- Total Time25 min
- Makes6 Servings
Photo, Dana Gallagher.
One story says that this recipe originated in early 20th-century Naples, specifically in the Quartieri Spagnoli, where the houses of pleasure were situated. Others say the dish was invented in Rome under similar circumstances.
Ingredients
Kosher salt
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
¾ cup good-quality oil-cured green and black olives, pitted, either whole or halved
¼ cup drained and rinsed capers in brine
1 28-oz can whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
½ teaspoon peperoncino or red pepper flakes (or use 2 whole dried Calabrian chiles, crumbled, for extra heat)
1 pound fusilli
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley, plus whole leaves for garnish
½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, and cook until it's sizzling, about 1 min. Add the olives and capers, and cook until they're sizzling. Pour in the tomatoes and ½ cup pasta-cooking water. Season with the peperoncino and ½ tsp salt (the capers and olives are salty, so don't oversalt). Bring the liquid to a lively simmer, and cook until it's thick and flavourful, 10 to 15 min.
Meanwhile, add the fusilli to the boiling water, and cook until it's al dente, When the pasta is cooked, transfer to the simmering sauce with a spider strainer. Sprinkle with the parsley, and toss to coat the pasta in the sauce, adding a little pasta water if it seems dry. Remove the garlic cloves. Sprinkle with the grated cheese, toss, garnish with parsley leaves and serve immediately.
Excerpted from Lidia’s The Art of Pasta by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali. Copyright © 2025 Tutti a Tavola, LLC. Photographs by Dana Gallagher. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
Lidia Bastianich is an Emmy award-winning public television host, a best‐selling cookbook author, restaurateur and owner of a flourishing food and entertainment business.
