This vegan pasta puttanesca blends garlic and chilli flakes with the pungent flavours of Kalamata olives and capers all in a deliciously rich tomato sauce. It's also the easiest vegan puttanesca sauce you'll ever find as it's ready in just 20 minutes.
Pasta puttanesca is supposed to be uncomplicated. It is, after all, what the ladies of the night were cooking in Italy during the World War II, or so the story goes.
Apparently, it was their go-to recipe because it allowed them to throw together whatever ingredients they had around and enjoy a meal without frills.
Whether the story is true or not, the ladies in question did have a point. Pasta puttanesca combines some delicious ingredients that are often readily available in any pantry: olives, capers, anchovies, and red chilli flakes for a bit of a kick.
Now this is a vegan puttanesca recipe, so it's following the authentic list of ingredients apart from the anchovies.
Today, we're skipping them because we're vegan, but hear this - food historians mention that some of the truly unluckly prostitutes who couldn't afford anchovies would add a sea rock to their pot when boiling the pasta to get a bit of a briny flavour.
I'm not doing that, because even if you make a puttanesca sauce without anchovies, you still get a briny flavour from the capers and olives, so there's no need to head to the coastline in search of a rock.
What do you need to make this vegan pasta puttanesca?
Pasta - I used casarecce because I love how it goes with the sauce, but any other type of pasta would do. Spaghetti is a very common choice for puttanesca, but short varieties of pasta work just as well.
Garlic - Lots of garlic is what gives puttanesca its unmistakable flavour. I use 4-5 large cloves, but you can never have too much garlic in puttanesca, so add as much as you like.
Plum tomatoes - Try to use the best quality plum tomatoes you can find as they could make or break the sauce. I crush them by hand before adding them to the pan, but you can also ad them whole and break them up with the back of the spoon.
Kalamata olives - You can technically use any kind of black olives in puttanesca, but I prefer Kalamata because they have a meaty texture and just the best flavour.
Capers - In the absence of anchovies, it falls on capers to deliver that briny flavour that's characteristic to the puttanesca. If you want to enhance that flavour, don't drain them before adding them to the pan.
Dried red chilli flakes - You can make the puttanesca as fiery as you want by playing with the quantity of chilli flakes.
How do you make it?
It only takes about 20 minute to prep and cook this vegan pasta puttanesca. Start on the sauce right when you're adding the pasta to the boiling water.
- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute until fragrant. Next, add the tomatoes, olives, capers, oregano, and chilli flakes.
- Lower the heat and simmer for 6-7 minutes until thickened.
- Add the pasta to the sauce and toss it over low heat until covered in sauce.
- Add the parsley, season to taste and serve immediately.
Tips & tricks for the best vegan puttanesca sauce
- If you want the sauce to have even more of a briny flavour, add a bit of liquid from the jar of capers or olives.
- Sprinkle the pasta puttanesca with a bit of vegan parmesan before serving if you want.
- If the sauce looks too thick after you add the pasta, add a dash of pasta water.
- The sauce should be salty enough from the capers, olivers, and pasta boiled in salted water, so it's a good idea to taste it before seasoning.
If you liked this vegan pasta puttanesca, have a look at some of my other quick and easy vegan recipes:
Creamy Vegan Artichoke and Spinach Pasta
Vegan Sweet Potato Chickpea Stew
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20-Minute Vegan Pasta Puttanesca
Ingredients
- 14 oz (400 g) pasta
- ¼ cup (50 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 can (14 oz / 400 g) peeled plum tomatoes, crushed by hand
- 3.5 oz (100 g) Kalamata olives, pitted, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoon capers, drained
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) red chilli flakes
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. Boil the pasta according to the instructions on the package until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute until fragrant. Next, add the tomatoes, olives, capers, oregano, and chilli flakes.¼ cup extra virgin olive oil4 large garlic cloves1 can (14 oz / 400 g) peeled plum tomatoes3.5 oz Kalamata olives2 tbsp capers1 tbsp dried oregano¼ tsp red chilli flakes
- Lower the heat and simmer for 6-7 minutes until thickened. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss it over low heat until covered in sauce. Add the parsley, season to taste and serve immediately.14 oz pasta2 tbsp fresh parsley
Sue S
Absolutely delicious and so easy to make
Maru
Easy and good.
- Maru
Paris
Thanks Maru, glad you liked it.
Tertia Smit
My sister made this recipe for us and we all enjoyed the flavoursome taste. I asked her to share it with me and I’m forwarding it to my vegan friends.
Paris
GLad you liked it, thank you!
Tomias
Love the pasta, thanks. But what is the reserved pasta water used for?
Paris
To use it later in case pasta might be a bit dry.