Traditionally, Puttanesca sauce is a tomato-based sauce blended with olives, anchovies, garlic, and capers. It creates a salty, briny, punchy sauce that's delicious over just about anything. This quick puttanesca sauce takes a little shortcut.
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Inspired by my Cauliflower Gnocchi Bake, this quick puttanesca sauce recipe uses olive tapenade to make this sauce in 20 to 30 minutes.
Quick puttanesca sauce Ingredients
- canned whole tomatoes
- dry white wine
- olive tapenade (store-bought or homemade)
- freshly cracked pepper
- fresh basil leaves to garnish
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
Olive tapenade
- garlic stuffed olives
- capers
- anchovy paste
- small lemon zest + juice
- flat-leaf parsley
- basil leaves
- good quality olive oil
See the quick puttanesca sauce recipe card for quantities.
How to make this quick puttanesca sauce recipe
In a 4.5-quart Enamel Dutch oven, greased with two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat, add whole (drained) tomatoes and white wine.
Let the white wine and tomatoes come up to a simmer, crush the whole tomatoes with the back of your spoon.
Olive tapenade
Hint: Using store-bought tapenade will make this puttanesca sauce recipe speedier. However, if you're using store-bought tapenade, add a quarter cup at a time since some brands may be saltier than others.
To make the olive tapenade by hand, add all ingredients in a small food processor, except the olive oil. Pulse tapenade ingredients while slowly pouring the olive oil into the food processor.
There should be enough olive oil to make the tapenade move freely. The consistency of the tapenade will be rough in texture, not a smooth puree.
Finishing the puttanesca sauce
After the tomatoes and white wine simmer, add the olive tapenade. Let the Puttanesca simmer for 20 to 30 minutes to thicken and develop the flavor. The longer, the better.
I had some leftover sourdough croutons, so I crushed them into breadcrumbs to stir in before serving. The breadcrumbs thicken the sauce and add extra flavor.
Variations
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish.
Equipment
Storage
Suitable for 2-3 days in the fridge. This quick puttanesca sauce recipe can be stored for about three months in the freezer.
Top tip
Always save your extra Parmesan Cheese rinds in the freezer. If you have one, toss it in the sauce for extra cheesy, nutty flavor.
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Quick Puttanesca sauce
Traditionally, Puttanesca sauce is a tomato-based sauce blended with olives, anchovies, garlic, and capers. It creates a salty, briny, punchy sauce that's delicious over just about anything. This quick puttanesca sauce takes a little shortcut.
Ingredients
Puttanesca Sauce
- 2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes, drained
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ½ - ¾ cup olive tapenade (store-bought or homemade-- see recipe below)
- freshly cracked pepper
- fresh basil leaves to garnish
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs (optional)
olive tapenade
- ⅓ cup garlic stuffed olives, about 7 - 10 large olives
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
- ½ small lemon zest + juice
- ⅓ cup flat-leaf parsley
- 2 - 3 basil leaves
- ¼ cup good quality olive oil
Instructions
- In a 4.5 qt. enamel dutch oven, over medium heat, greased with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, add whole (drained) tomatoes and white wine.
- While the white wine and tomatoes come up to a simmer, crush the whole tomatoes with the back of your spoon.
- After, add in the olive tapenade. If you're using store-bought tapenade, add a quarter cup at a time-- some brands may be saltier than others.
- Let the Puttanesca simmer for 20 - 30 minutes to thicken and develop the flavor, the longer the better. Before serving, stir in a handful of breadcrumbs, if using. I used leftover sourdough croutons.
- Season as necessary and Spoon the puttanesca sauce over cooked pasta.
Homemade Olive tapenade
- In a small food processor, add all tapenade ingredients except the olive oil. Pulse tapenade ingredients while slowly pouring the olive oil into the food processor. There should be enough olive oil to make the tapenade move freely and the consistency of the tapenade will be rough in texture, not a smooth puree.
Notes
Always save your leftover parm rinds in the freezer. If you have one, toss it in for extra nutty flavor. Just remember to remove it before serving.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 248Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 389mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 2gSugar: 7gProtein: 2g
Nutrition facts are for personal reference only as calories may vary on a case by case basis.
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