Puttanesca

In Naples, PUTTANESCA is known in the local dialect as “aulive e chiapparielli”: olives and capers. I like this name because it tells you about the dish through its ingredients.

Puttanesca belongs to the kind of everyday cooking that finds everything it needs in the pantry. I have always associated it with spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino: both dishes come together from ingredients people in southern Italy tend to keep on hand.

I feel close to this way of cooking. It calls for knowing your ingredients well: how much salt an anchovy brings, how prominently a caper will come through, and how much tomato is needed to bring the two together.

In my PUTTANESCA, I use San Marzano tomatoes, olives, capers and Sicilian anchovies. The anchovies melt into the sauce, giving it depth. The olives and capers remain distinct, accompanied by the delicate aroma of garlic and a gentle touch of chilli.

I look for a bold flavour in which the tomato comes through while also supporting all the other ingredients.

This is what I would like you to find when you open the jar: the taste of a cuisine I know well, prepared with the same care I give to my dishes every day.