Puttanesca

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
• 1.5 tbsp oregano or basil (dried or fresh)
• 50g flat fillets of anchovies – finely chopped
• 28oz can crushed tomatoes
• 100mL capers (drained)
• 1 jar of pitted olives (drained)
• 500g pasta of choice
• 6 cloves of garlic – chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• Olive oil
• Salt and black pepper

Preparation

1. Put a sauce pan to heat over medium heat and add a healthy glug of olive oil
2. When hot, add the chopped anchovies stirring occasionally. When the anchovies start dissolving, add the red pepper flakes and garlic. Saute till fragrant. Add the tomato paste. Saute for one more minute  
3. Add the crushed tomatoes, and all the other ingredients (minus the salt and pepper) and bring every to a gentle simmer
4. In a separate pot, boil your pasta per the instructions, but cook for 1 minute less than it tells you, and add more salt than it tells you. Once cooked, reserve a cup of the cooking liquid and drain the rest
5. Taste your sauce and adjust seasoning with salt and LOTS of black pepper at this point. It should spicy, sweet and funky in the best way
6. Add your cooked pasta to the sauce, stir everything up for a minute or two. If you want to thin the sauce out use a couple splashes of the reserved pasta water. 
7. Take the pot off the heat. Drizzle some good olive oil over top and stir through. 
8. Plate and grate some Parmesan over top

Tips

This sauce is forgiving, so adjust seasoning as you see fit.  Don’t be scared of anchovies. They’re your friend. Make this pasta on a third date. You’re welcome.