Phil's Spaghetti Puttanesca
Why I Love This Recipe
An intense classic Italian sauce that is a haiku of huge favors in tension with each other. Puttanesca is reputed to mean "prostitute's sauce" (quick, hot and spicy?).
--From litl employee Phil
Ingredients You'll Need
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil.
1 large clove finely chopped garlic
Say 3 tspns chili powder or to taste (how hot can you take it?)
Large handful of washed fresh basil leaves, chopped.
About one third as much chopped fresh parsley.
1 can good quality Roma tomatoes.
~ 1/3 small tin of flat anchovies, chopped.
Freshly grated parmesan cheese. (optional)
~ 15 sliced seeded olives. Bottled green olives stuffed with pimento are ok.
Hard durum wheat pasta.
Directions
Gently fry the garlic in the olive oil only until just clear - do not brown.
Add tomatoes, basil, most of the parsley, chili powder, anchovies and olives.
Mix well. Crush the tomatoes with a spatula while cooking.
Allow sauce to reduce and simmer for at least 15 mins, longer to deepen the flavor.
Add water to prevent drying out if needed.
Adding salt is unlikely to be necessary (anchovies are salty enough).
Best prepared ahead of time and allowed to develop.
Serve over spaghetti or other pasta that has been cooked al dente in well-salted water.
Sprinkle with parmesan and the remainder of the fresh parsley before serving.
