My Spaghetti alla Puttanesca with Cherry Tomatoes is bold, briny, spicy and incredibly satisfying. Fresh cherry tomatoes cook down into a rustic sauce with garlic, anchovies, Kalamata olives and capers, while crispy toasted breadcrumbs add the perfect finishing crunch. And it’s ready in under 40 minutes!
This recipe is especially great during tomato season when cherry tomatoes are sweet, juicy and abundant. Pair it with one of my Mediterranean appetizers.
Spaghetti alla Puttanesca: Recipe at a Glance
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings
4 People
Calories*
656 kcal
Difficulty
Easy
Main Ingredients
Spaghetti, cherry tomatoes, olives, capers, tomato paste, anchovies, breadcrumbs, fresh parsley and cheese.
Technique
Frying breadcrumbs, building a tomato-based pasta sauce, boiling pasta, tossing and serving pasta.
*Calories are estimated
Table of Contents
Why My Recipe Works
- Easy to prepare: This pasta puttanesca comes together with a handful of simple ingredients and requires very little prep. Perfect for date night or busy weeknights.
- Perfect for tomato season: Using fresh cherry tomatoes instead of canned tomatoes makes this recipe particularly delicious in summer and early fall, when tomatoes are at their sweetest.
- Tested and Reliable: Groceries can be expensive! All my Main Dish recipes are tested by me, my team or recipe testers before posting.
Ingredients
You’ll see that this pasta alla puttanesca recipe is mostly made with pantry and fridge staples. Here’s what you will need:
- Panko Breadcrumbs: Toasted until golden and crisp, these add a wonderful crunchy finish. Regular breadcrumbs can be used instead. I like using breadcrumbs as a pasta topping, especially in a fresh tomato recipe like in my Sicilian Pesto Pasta.
- Anchovy Fillets: Anchovies melt into the olive oil and provide savory, umami-rich depth. I don’t recommend skipping them if you’re after that characteristic puttanesca flavor. You could also use anchovy paste in a tube if that’s more accessible or convenient.
- Red Pepper Flakes: You can make this recipe as spicy or as mild as you like. Use red pepper flakes, chili flakes or even Calabrian chili from a jar. Or omit entirely if you don’t like heat.
- Tomato Paste: Intensifies the tomato flavor and helps give the sauce more body. The cherry tomatoes on their own are fine, but when I’ve tested this recipe without the tomato paste, the sauce lacked depth.
- Cherry Tomatoes: The star of this cherry tomato puttanesca. Grape tomatoes can be substituted. Also try my Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce or Cherry Tomato Confit with Garlic if you have loads of cherry tomatoes on hand. But you can also use canned cherry tomatoes, or even crushed tomatoes or diced canned tomatoes.
- Kalamata Olives: Add a rich, fruity and salty flavor. Other good-quality black olives can be substituted.
- Capers: Add that unmistakable briny punch that makes puttanesca so flavorful. They can be a little salty, so use them in moderation.
- Pasta: Classically, you would use spaghetti, but honestly any long pasta will do (fettuccine, linguine or even tagliatelle). And in a pinch, I have used whatever I have in my pantry, so don’t feel like you need to go to the store for a specific pasta shape. Check out more Pasta Recipes for ideas and inspiration.
- Pecorino Romano: A salty, sharp finishing cheese. Parmesan cheese can be substituted if preferred or if that’s what you have.
Refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make this Spaghetti alla Puttanesca Recipe
Step 1: Toast the Breadcrumbs. Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the panko breadcrumbs and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and crisp, about 3–5 minutes. Transfer them to a bowl and set aside.
Step 2: Build the Flavor Base. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic cloves and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Don’t let it burn. Add the chopped anchovies and cook, stirring, until they dissolve into the oil. Stir in the tomato paste. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, so the tomato paste can caramelize slightly and develop a deeper flavor. Add in the chili flakes and oregano. Stir to combine.
Step 3. Add the Cherry Tomatoes. Add the cherry tomatoes. Cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes soften and begin to burst. Use the back of a wooden spoon to gently crush many of the tomatoes, while leaving some whole for texture.
Step 4. Add the Briny Ingredients. Stir in the Kalamata olives and capers. Cook for another 2–3 minutes, then taste the sauce before adjusting the seasoning with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Step 5: Cook the Spaghetti. While the sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente. Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water.
Step 6. Finish the Pasta in the Sauce. Transfer the cooked spaghetti directly to the skillet with the sauce. Add about ½ cup of reserved pasta water and toss vigorously until the sauce becomes glossy and coats every strand. Add more pasta water as needed.
Step 7. Garnish and Serve. Divide the spaghetti puttanesca between serving bowls. Finish generously with the toasted breadcrumbs, chopped fresh parsley (or fresh basil) and finely grated Pecorino Romano. Serve immediately.
Expert Tips
- Watch the salt. Anchovies, Kalamata olives, briny capers and Pecorino Romano all contribute saltiness. Taste the finished sauce before adding more salt.
- Let the anchovies melt into the oil. Finely chopping the anchovies helps them dissolve quickly. Once cooked, you shouldn’t have noticeable pieces of anchovy. The goal is for them to become part of the savory base of the sauce.
- Don’t burn the garlic. Thinly sliced garlic cooks very quickly. Keep the heat moderate and move on to the next ingredients once it becomes fragrant.
- Caramelize the tomato paste. Giving the tomato paste a minute or two in the hot skillet before adding the cherry tomatoes helps concentrate its flavor and takes away some of its raw acidity.
- Don’t crush every tomato. I like a rustic sauce here. Crushing most of the tomatoes gives you enough liquid to coat the spaghetti, while leaving a few intact provides texture and bursts of sweet tomato flavor. Got lots of cherry tomatoes from the garden? Here are 11 ways to use up your cherry tomato harvest.
- Reserve more pasta water than you think you’ll need. That cloudy, starchy water is one of the secrets to helping the sauce cling to the spaghetti. Add it gradually until the sauce is glossy rather than watery.
- Finish the spaghetti in the skillet. Instead of spooning sauce over cooked pasta, toss the spaghetti directly with the puttanesca sauce and pasta water. This helps the pasta absorb some of the sauce and brings everything together.
- Serve the breadcrumbs at the last minute. The toasted panko is all about crunch, so sprinkle it over the pasta just before serving rather than stirring it into the sauce.
Spaghetti alla Puttanesca Recipe FAQs
The name spaghetti alla puttanesca is almost as bold as the dish itself. In Italian, puttanesca comes from puttana, which refers to sex work. That has led to plenty of colorful stories about how this pasta got its name, but the exact origin isn’t entirely clear.
One popular story suggests that the dish was associated with sex workers who needed something quick and easy to prepare between clients. Another version says its strong aromas were used to entice customers. They’re certainly memorable stories, but they’re probably more legend than established culinary history.
And that’s the part of the story I really love because spaghetti puttanesca is essentially the perfect late-night meal. It’s fast, satisfying and built largely from ingredients you can keep in the pantry. Add pasta, garlic, olives, capers, anchovies and tomatoes, and you can have an incredibly flavorful dinner without much planning.
The sauce can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to serve, gently reheat the sauce while you cook a fresh batch of spaghetti.
I recommend making the toasted breadcrumbs separately and storing them at room temperature in an airtight container so they remain crisp.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a skillet with a small splash of water to help loosen the sauce.
The toasted breadcrumbs are best stored separately so they don’t become soggy.
Other Pasta Recipes
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Spaghetti alla Puttanesca with Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients
For the Toasted Breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- ¾ cup Panko breadcrumbs – Or standard breadcrumb
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
For the Pasta Sauce
- 3 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- 5 Garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
- 4 Anchovy fillets (finely chopped)
- 3 tablespoon Tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon Chili flakes – Use more or less, to taste
- 2 pints Cherry tomatoes – about 4 cups or 1½ lb
- ½ cup Kalamata olives (pitted)
- 2 tablespoon Capers (drained)
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
For the Pasta and Garnish
- 12 oz Spaghetti
- ½ cup Fresh parsley (chopped)
- ½ cup Pecorino Romano (grated)
Instructions
- Toast the Breadcrumbs. Heat 2 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add ¾ cup Panko breadcrumbs and ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and crisp, about 3–5 minutes. Transfer them to a bowl and set aside.
- Build the Flavor Base. Heat 3 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 5 Garlic cloves (thinly sliced) and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Don't let it burn. Add 4 Anchovy fillets (finely chopped) and cook, stirring, until they dissolve into the oil. Stir in 3 tablespoon Tomato paste. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, so the tomato paste can caramelize slightly and develop a deeper flavor. Add 1 teaspoon Dried oregano and ½ teaspoon Chili flakes. Stir to combine.
- Add the Cherry Tomatoes. Add 2 pints Cherry tomatoes. Cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes soften and begin to burst. Use the back of a wooden spoon to gently crush many of the tomatoes, while leaving some whole for texture.
- Add the Briny Ingredients. Stir in ½ cup Kalamata olives (pitted) and 2 tablespoon Capers (drained). Cook for another 2–3 minutes, then taste the sauce before adjusting the seasoning with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Cook the Spaghetti. While the sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well. Add 12 oz Spaghetti and cook until al dente. Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water.
- Finish the Pasta in the Sauce. Transfer the cooked spaghetti directly to the skillet with the sauce. Add about ½ cup of reserved pasta water and toss vigorously until the sauce becomes glossy and coats every strand. Add more pasta water as needed.
- Garnish and Serve. Divide the spaghetti puttanesca between serving bowls. Finish generously with the toasted breadcrumbs, chopped fresh parsley (or fresh basil) and finely grated Pecorino Romano. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Panko Breadcrumbs: Toasted until golden and crisp, these add a wonderful crunchy finish. Regular breadcrumbs can be used instead.
- Anchovy Fillets: Anchovies melt into the olive oil and provide savory, umami-rich depth. I don’t recommend skipping them if you’re after that characteristic puttanesca flavor. You could also use anchovy paste in a tube if that’s more accessible or convenient.
- Capers: Add that unmistakable briny punch that makes puttanesca so flavorful. They can be a little salty, so use them in moderation.
- Pasta: Classically, you would use spaghetti, but honestly any long pasta will do (fettuccine, linguine or even tagliatelle). And in a pinch, I have used whatever I have in my pantry, so don’t feel like you need to go to the store for a specific pasta shape.
- Pecorino Romano: A salty, sharp finishing cheese. Parmesan cheese can be substituted if preferred or if that’s what you have.
- Watch the salt. Anchovies, Kalamata olives, briny capers and Pecorino Romano all contribute saltiness. Taste the finished sauce before adding more salt.
- Let the anchovies melt into the oil. Finely chopping the anchovies helps them dissolve quickly. Once cooked, you shouldn’t have noticeable pieces of anchovy. The goal is for them to become part of the savory base of the sauce.
- Don’t burn the garlic. Thinly sliced garlic cooks very quickly. Keep the heat moderate and move on to the next ingredients once it becomes fragrant.
- Caramelize the tomato paste. Giving the tomato paste a minute or two in the hot skillet before adding the cherry tomatoes helps concentrate its flavor and takes away some of its raw acidity.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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