Comments on: Pasta Puttanesca

By: June Pickering

June Pickering — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:47:36 +0000

I had a good giggle when reading about how to sweat the garlic. As a transplanted Yank to England about 8 years ago, I had to learn an entirely, new vocabulary if I wanted to cook here. Things here are sweated, not sauteed and that’s just the beginning! This recipe is a fine one. Ms. Dahl (now Mrs. Jamie Cullum) had a very good TV show here awhile back. I, too, add capers and we use Gran Padano as a finishing touch. I like it so much better than the old parmesan cheese of olde.

By: Renee Schettler Rossi, LC Editor-in-Chief

Renee Schettler Rossi, LC Editor-in-Chief — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:10:55 +0000

We couldn’t agree more, Robin. San Marzanos are the best. As is this recipe from the lovely and reliable Miss Sophie Dahl…

By: Robin | My Melange

Robin | My Melange — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:04:07 +0000

I love pasta recipes – so easy to make and delicious. And your picture just makes me want to gobble it all up right now. I always use San Marzano tomatoes, they are the best!

By: David Leite

David Leite — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:28:39 +0000

Daniel, it’s not a cop out, but I’d add to taste. Each brand of paste is a bit different, some are saltier, some are oilier, etc. I’d add the paste a bit at a time until it’s perfection.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:37:45 +0000

I would like to substitute anchovy paste for the anchovies. how much should i use?

By: Sofia Reino

Sofia Reino — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 18:36:28 +0000

Too funny Marcella and so very right. I love this recipe and have tried it also with tuna instead of the anchovies and kids LOVE IT. Also another thing I often do with anchovies as some may find it too strong of a taste, I leave them in milk for a few hours then pat dry them and it softens its taste.

By: marcella

marcella — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 07:58:34 +0000

hmmm… I feel it quite unnecessary to use a mortar and pestle for the anchovies. Just throw them in the hot skillet before adding the tomatoes: the sheer warmth from the oil will help dissolve them in no time. Mash them a little with your spoon, then add the tomatoes, and on you go – I don’t like to use mortar and pestle, mainly because my pestle is made of wood and it would be a pain to make the fishy smell go away :)

By: Testers' Choice

Testers' Choice — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 03:53:58 +0000

[Beth Price] This pasta puttanesca is a keeper. It’s easy and flavorful. I added capers to mine because, well, I like it voluptuous…

By: Testers' Choice

Testers' Choice — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 22:27:23 +0000

[Leanne Abe] So easy and fast! It took longer for the water to boil than it did to throw together this sauce. I found that 4 cups of penne worked out to about 14 ounces, and since packages of pasta range from 12 to 16 ounces, I suggest you just use the whole package and figure you’ll either have a bit more pasta or a bit more sauce. This is one of those dishes where you won’t taste the anchovies because they just meld into the sauce, but you also definitely don’t want to leave them out. I threw in chopped basil since it’s what we have growing. The whole thing was garlicky, salty, and spicy enough to make us happy.

By: Testers' Choice

Testers' Choice — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 22:27:05 +0000

[Maria Peplowski] I can’t believe how fast this was to make, and how good the results were. My husband and I both liked this, and it will be part of my repertoire of weeknight recipes. I used a chile pepper, anchovies (as opposed to paste), and basil (not parsley), and didn’t add the brown sugar. I’m a deep down, true blue pasta lover and was quite impressed with the spelt pasta, which I had not tried before. It’s better than whole wheat pasta (yuck!).