Penne Puttanesca

Name: Penne Puttanesca
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 250 g penne; Flakey salt; 1 tbsp olive oil; 4-5 tinned anchovy fillets (chopped); 1 onion (finely diced); 3 garlic cloves (crushed); Handful of black olives (roughly chopped); 1 x 400g tin of cherry tomatoes; 2 tbsp capers; Small bunch of fresh basil (stems chopped finely and leaves torn); To serve; Burrata (optional); Parmesan (grated)

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.

If you’re looking for an easy pasta recipe that is simply packed with flavour but quick enough to make on a busy weeknight, you have to try my Penne Puttanesca with Burrata. Tinned anchovies, a jar of olives and plenty of garlic amp up the flavour of a tin of cherry tomatoes before they’re tossed with pasta and finished with gooey, creamy burrata and plenty of fresh basil.

White shallow casserole with puttanesca dotted with torn burrata and fresh basil.

Puttanesca is the ultimate store cupboard supper. All of the base ingredients are things most of us tend to have in the cupboard, and as it comes together in just 20 minutes it is great for a last minute meal.

A Note on Penne Pasta

You might notice this is linguine and not penne pasta, despite the recipe title. When I went to shoot the recipe, I was all out of penne and the light was fading so it was linguine or nothing! However, the same principles still apply. The sauce is the same and you toss in perfectly al dente pasta. You could use ANY pasta shape you like or any you have on hand. If you’re feeling really fancy, make my homemade garganelli shaped pasta (it’s fresh pasta) and this would be even more delicious.

A Note on Penne Pasta
Why you’ll love this recipe
Ingredients
Substitutions and Variations
Here’s how to make Penne Puttanesca
Cooking Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
Other recipes you might like
Penne Puttanesca Recipe

Why you’ll love this recipe

Originally a core recipe of la cucina povera, it uses accessible and affordable ingredients you probably already have to hand.
It’s adaptable to what you have in the fridge and cupboards. Plus you can make it as spicy or mild as you like.
An easy weeknight recipe, it is full of flavour and can be on the table in 20 minutes.

Bowl of pasta with burrata, cherry tomatoes and black olives topped with fresh basil next to the casserole dish filled with pasta.

Ingredients

See recipe card for the exact recipe with a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Penne: a short tubular pasta that is ridged and holds sauce well (like in my Penne Amatriciana). We used linguine in our pictures though, or any other pasta shape works.

Tinned cherry tomatoes: cherry tomatoes over chopped tomatoes or passata make for the best flavour and great texture too. We particularly love the ones from Mutti and Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference in this Penne Puttanesca.

Anchovy fillets: use the brown ones packed in oil. They offer a hit of savoury, umami flavour for minimal effort. Don’t worry if you don’t like fishy things, I promise it doesn’t taste like fish as it just melts into the sauce.

Black olives: any will work here but we find pitted and packed in brine are the easiest here as you can just run a knife through them without spending time pitting.

Capers: jarred capers are ideal here to add a tart bite.

Substitutions and Variations

Capers/olives: if you don’t like one of them, just leave it out. The sauce is still delicious.

Make it spicy: either add a diced red chilli with the garlic for a proper heat or a generous pinch of chilli flakes adds a gentle hum of heat through the sauce. I love it this way.

Basil: swap for parsley or even chives if you have those on hand instead. Basil is most traditional with tomatoes but actually, I make this a lot with parsley too.

Anchovies: as I mentioned, please don’t be put off by anchovies, thinking it will make the whole thing fishy. Try it at least once! They melt into the sauce so you don’t get any chunks, you just get a depth of flavour that’s hard to create so quickly elsewhere.

Tomatoes: you can use chopped tomatoes or passata if you like but I do find tinned cherry tomatoes have the best flavour in this Penne Puttanesca. You could use fresh cherry tomatoes if they are in season. Add 300-400g cherry tomatoes with the garlic until softening, then add a splash of water as you would with a tin of tomatoes, and use the back of your spoon to encourage them to burst and form a sauce. It takes a little longer but it’s delicious.

Tuna/Mackerel: for extra protein, I sometimes add a jar/tin of tuna or mackerel to the sauce and stir together. It adds a layer of meatiness and works really well with the capers and olives.

Here’s how to make Penne Puttanesca

Here’s a step by step guide for what you need to do, but you can find the full recipe at the bottom of the page for detailed instructions.

Onions and anchovies being fried in a shallow casserole dish.

ONE: In a large pan over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and chopped white onion. Fry for 5 minutes and then add the anchovies, no need to chop as they melt into the sauce.

Frying onions, anchovies and chopped black olives in a shallow casserole dish.

TWO: Once soft and the anchovies melted away, stir in the garlic, olives and capers and basil stems, chopped. Cook for a further few minutes. Meanwhile, boil the pasta in salted water according to package instructions.

Stirring cherry tomatoes into a pan of onions.

THREE: Add the tinned tomatoes and a splash of water, and simmer for 5-7 minutes, until thickened a little. Taste and adjust seasoning. Once the pasta is cooked, reserve a mug of pasta water, drain the rest and add to the sauce directly.

FOUR: Toss together until a gorgeous sauce forms and coats each pasta. Add splashes of water as needed to make sure it doesn’t thicken too much, you want it nice and saucy. Tear in the fresh basil and add a good grating of parmesan.

Cooking Tips

Pasta water: keep a mug of pasta water when you drain the pasta. This is super important to ensure that the sauce is silky and delicious, as the starch in the pasta water is what brings the penne puttanesca together so well.

Salt: there are lots of salty elements to the sauce already (anchovies, capers, olives) so go slowly when seasoning with salt. Taste as you go!

Adding sugar to tomato sauce: if you find the tomato sauce a little sour, add ½ teaspoon of sugar. It helps to balance it out.

Puttanesca in a shallow casserole dish topped with torn burrata and fresh basil.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this puttanesca recipe vegan friendly?

Yes – simply amp up the amount of olives and capers you use in place of the anchovies. Make sure you either finish the dish with a vegan-friendly hard cheese, or a handful of Pangrattato.

Can I make this gluten-free?

Yes, swap for your favourite gluten free pasta.

What does Puttanesca mean?

Puttanesca is a traditional Italian pasta sauce from Naples. It loosely translates as ‘whores pasta’ with the legend behind the name being that it was a quick pasta that could be made with ingredients that were on hand for the ladies to enjoy between clients! Typically it includes anchovies, capers, olives, tomatoes and parsley, but in truth it’s a highly adaptable weeknight pasta dish.

Can I freeze penne puttanesca?

No, don’t freeze it all mixed together. However, you can freeze the sauce. Make as usual and then transfer to an airtight container to cool. Cover and then freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost when ready to use. Heat on the stove and then stir in freshly cooked pasta.