Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Italian Penne Puttanesca
意式橄欖鯷魚辣茄醬長通粉
Recipe overview
Italian Penne Puttanesca is a practical home-cooked dish for a Hong Kong family kitchen. Twelve clear stages control preparation, heat and doneness to deliver penne coated in a punchy meat-free tomato and olive sauce.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 400 g pasta
- 400 g canned chopped tomatoes
- 100 g black olives
- 2 tbsp capers
- 4 piece anchovy fillets in oil
- 3 clove garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
02
Tools
- pot
- colander
- frying pan
- knife
- cutting board
- wooden spoon
- measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- serving bowl
- timer
03
Steps
Step 1
Boil the salted pasta water
Add 1 teaspoon salt to a large saucepan of water and bring it to a rolling boil over high heat.
Step 2
Prepare the garlic, olives and capers
Thinly slice all 3 garlic cloves, drain 100 g black olives, and rinse and drain 2 tablespoons capers.
Step 3
Mash the anchovies
Mash all 4 anchovy fillets with the back of a spoon until they form a paste that will dissolve into the oil.
Step 4
Cook the penne until al dente
Add all 400 g penne to the boiling water, stir well, and boil for 10 minutes or until tender outside with a firm centre.
Step 5
Reserve pasta water and drain
Scoop out 200 ml starchy pasta water, then drain the penne thoroughly without rinsing.
Step 6
Warm the olive oil gently
Heat all 2 tablespoons olive oil in a wide frying pan over medium-low heat for 1 minute until fluid but not smoking.
Step 7
Cook the garlic and anchovy paste
Add the sliced garlic and anchovy paste; stir over low heat for 2 minutes until the garlic is pale gold and the anchovy has dissolved.
Step 8
Simmer the tomato base
Add all 400 g chopped tomatoes, raise to medium heat, and stir until the sauce reaches a gentle steady simmer.
Step 9
Add the olives and capers
Stir the drained 100 g olives and 2 tablespoons capers into the simmering tomato sauce until evenly distributed.
Step 10
Reduce the puttanesca sauce
Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer over medium-low heat for 8 minutes, stirring twice, until thick enough to leave a brief trail behind the spoon.
Step 11
Toss the penne through the sauce
Add the drained penne and 60 ml reserved pasta water; toss over medium heat for 2 minutes until the sauce clings to every tube, adding more water only by the tablespoon if dry.
Step 12
Taste and serve immediately
Taste one piece, add no extra salt unless needed because the anchovies, olives and capers are salty, then divide among 4 warm bowls and serve hot.
Common mistakes
- Browning the garlic deeply makes the entire tomato sauce bitter.
- Adding undrained olives and capers makes the sauce watery and overly salty.
- Overcooking the penne before tossing leaves it soft after the final two minutes in sauce.
Tips
Mash the anchovies before adding garlic so their savoury flavour dissolves evenly into the oil.
Add pasta water only by the spoonful; the sauce should cling to the penne, not pool below it.
