Puttanesca with Burrata

Name: Puttanesca with Burrata
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 250g linguine; olive oil; 4-5 tinned anchovy fillets, chopped; 1 onion, finely diced; 3 crushed garlic cloves; handful black olives, roughly chopped; 1 tin cherry tomatoes; 1 burrata, torn; fresh basil, torn; parmesan, to serve

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If you're looking for an easy vegetarian pasta recipe that is simply packed with flavour but quick enough to make on a busy weeknight, we can't wait for you to try our Linguini 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 -- honestly, this is the best recipe for pasta puttanesca we've ever tried!

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

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

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.

Here we've elevated the classic by making it a recipe for puttanesca with burrata: it may seem a little cliched, but there is a reason burrata is so delicious on top of so many things, here it's mild creaminess melts into the sauce adding a little luxe touch to every bite. And if you have some to hand, fresh basil adds the most delicious flavour and aroma to the sauce.

The History of Puttanesca Sauce

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.

We've left the capers out of our version to leave space for the anchovies to really sing (but we use them in our vegan puttanesca, see the FAQ's section below!) and switched the parsley for the basil to make the dish scream summer. But you can add both of these back in if you wish!

Ingredients

linguine (or any other long pasta shape that works well with plenty of sauce)
olive oil
tinned cherry tomatoes (these are important here to get those mouthfuls of juicy tomato in the dish as well as a good amount of rich sauce - we particularly love the ones from Mutti and Sainsbury's Taste the Difference)
tinned anchovy fillets (the brown ones, rinse them well if they come packed in salt instead of oil)
brown onion
garlic
black olives (any will work here but we find pitted and packed in brine are the easiest here!)
burrata (or torn mozzarella)
fresh basil
parmesan (or any other hard parmesan-style cheese, make sure it is vegetarian friendly if this matters to you!)

Directions

Onions and anchovies being fried in a shallow casserole dish.

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

Step 1

Sauté the onion in a little olive oil with the anchovies until soft.

Step 2

Stir in the chopped black olives and the garlic.

Stirring cherry tomatoes into a pan of onions.

Step 3

Add the tinned tomatoes and a splash of water, and simmer for five minutes.

Step 4

Meanwhile, boil the linguine until al dente and add to the sauce.

Step 5

Top with torn burrata, basil leaves, more olives and anchovies and a dusting of parmesan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this puttanesca recipe vegan friendly?

Yes -- simply amp up the amount of olives you use in place of the anchovies, or add in some capers for an extra burst of umami. Leave off the burrata, and make sure you either finish the dish with a vegan-friendly hard cheese, or a handful of Pangrattato.

What are the best pasta shapes to use? Can I make this gluten-free?

For puttanesca, long strands of pasta work best like linguini or tagliatelle. But, if you prefer a shorter shape our picks would be pasta bows (farfalle) or orecchiette.

It's the middle of summer, can I use fresh cherry tomatoes to make this instead?

Yes, you'll want to burst them in the pan and add a good few more splashes of water or even white wine to bring the sauce together once they've burst. It will take a little longer to make too, but we think it will be worth it.