Red Pepper Flakes |

This classic southern Italian dish is made with ‘sugo alla puttanesca’ which is sauce traditionally made from diced tomatoes, anchovies, olives, garlic, chili peppers, and capers. However, there are different variations of this sauce as the recipe bellow omits the capers and uses green olives as a substitute. The sauce has a bit of heat, as well as it’s salty from the olives and anchovies, tangy from the lemon juice, and deliciously flavoured from the garlic. It’s a perfect recipe for spicing up a normal tomato sauce.

This sauce has an interesting story surrounding it, which actually makes it a comical Valentines day meal… It has been said that prostitutes in Naples would make this delicious sauce to lure in prospective clients, which is where the name ‘puttanesca’ is derived from. Despite the story behind this sauce, it’s perfect for any occasion.

This pasta dish is by far one of my favourites, because it’s just so incredibly flavourful, and it was my brother who first introduced me to this dish. My brother has become quite the little chef these days, as I frequently find him in the kitchen trying out new recipes. He has been dying to try this sauce, and boy am I glad that he did. The different tastes of the ingredients are balanced perfectly to bring out great taste. It’s a spicy, cheap and easy sauce that is a definite pleaser.

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

Ingredients:

28 oz can diced tomatoes (preferably skinless)
1 pound spaghetti (can use spaghetti of choice)
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
Juice from half a lemon
2 teaspoons parsley
1/4 cup white wine
5 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped.
1 cup sliced black and green olives
2 teaspoons anchovy paste (I used a tomato based paste called Umami paste)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions:

Heat oil in a pan on medium heat and fry garlic for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cook for 4 minutes. Now add white wine, olives, crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper and anchovy paste. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir well. Cook sauce for 8-10 minutes. Once cooked, stir in parsley and lemon juice. Toss together with cooked spaghetti. Garnish with extra parsley, and serve.

This is a quick, yet completely satisfying dish that can be ready in just half an hour. This Italian inspired meal consists of succulent shrimp smothered in a lightly spicy tomato sauce, infused with white wine, garlic, a hint of onions and Italian seasoning. Adding shrimp to pasta is an easy way of incorporating some light protein and amazing taste!

Ingredients:

Package of Linguini
398 mL can of tomatoes, diced and skinned
Pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup dry, white wine
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon chili pepper powder
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat oil in a pan on medium-high heat. Sauté onion for 4 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. Add wine, and cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add shrimp and cook until thoroughly pink. Check to make sure sauce is seasoned enough with salt and pepper. Serve over top of linguini, or pasta of choice, and garnish with a sprig of parsley.

As you can tell by this recipe, I like to drench my sauce in wine, as opposed to allowing most of the wine to evaporate. This method allows you to really taste the white wine in the sauce, which is what I love!

For the wine, I used Prosecco, which is actually an Italian sparkling, dry, white wine. I had no idea I was using sparkling wine for this sauce, until I actually took a sip of the wine with my meal! I would have never known the sauce was made with sparkling wine, because the bubbles completely disappear. I definitely learned something new, and acquired a new found love for Prosecco.

Ps. Merry Christmas

Passion for food, tastefulness, and wellbeing.

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