Daily Italian Recipe · Pasta
Linguine alla Puttanesca
Briny olives, capers and garlic turn Linguine alla Puttanesca into a bold Campanian classic. Our Home Made Tomato Sauce keeps this two-person recipe quick without changing its essential character.
Total time
25 minutes
Serves
2 people
Difficulty
Easy
Origin
Campania
Puttanesca is closely associated with Naples and nearby Ischia, where tomatoes, olives and capers bring the southern Italian pantry together in one lively sauce. Linguine catches that sauce beautifully, with each strand carrying a little olive oil and tomato.
The dish’s precise birthplace and colourful name have inspired competing stories rather than one settled history. This version follows the familiar Neapolitan combination without anchovies; anchovy-enriched versions are particularly associated with Lazio.
Ingredients
- 200 g Dried durum-wheat linguine
- 300 g Home Made Tomato SauceShop
- 300 g, as an alternative only Home Made Pasta Tomato Sauce from the 2 kg pack; use instead of the preceding sauce, not in additionShop
- 60 g, pitted weight Gaeta black olives, roughly torn
- 15 g, after rinsing and draining Salt-packed capers, thoroughly rinsed
- 6 g Garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
- 30 ml Extra-virgin olive oil
- 0.3 g Dried red chilli flakes
- 5 g Flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
- 2 litres Water for cooking the pasta; reserve 100 ml before draining
- 8 g Salt for the pasta water
Method
- 1
1. Prepare the briny ingredients
Rinse the capers thoroughly, then taste one. If still harshly salty, soak in fresh water for 5 minutes and drain. Weigh out 15 g after draining. Pit and roughly tear the olives; slice the garlic and chop the parsley.
- 2
2. Start the linguine
Bring 2 litres of water to the boil and add 8 g salt. Add the linguine and stir well. Plan to lift it out 2 minutes before the packet’s stated al dente cooking time, finishing it in the sauce.
- 3
3. Gently perfume the oil
Meanwhile, put the olive oil and garlic in a wide frying pan over medium-low heat. Cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant but not browned. Add the chilli, olives and capers, then stir for 30 seconds.
- 4
4. Simmer the tomato sauce
Add 300 g tomato sauce, using either pack option—not both. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 7–8 minutes, stirring occasionally. If it becomes too thick, loosen with a small splash of pasta water. Taste before considering any additional salt.
- 5
5. Finish the pasta in the pan
Reserve 100 ml pasta water, then transfer the linguine to the sauce at the timing described above. Add 30 ml reserved water and toss over medium heat for about 2 minutes, until al dente. Add further pasta water in 15 ml splashes only as needed for a glossy coating.
- 6
6. Finish with parsley
Turn off the heat, fold in the parsley and divide between two warm plates. Serve immediately, without grated cheese, letting the olives, capers and tomato lead.
Chef's secret
Finish the linguine in the sauce rather than spooning sauce over drained pasta. Its surface starch combines with olive oil and a little cooking water to make a glossy coating—no butter or cream needed.
Did you know?
Anchovies are not compulsory in puttanesca: a familiar Neapolitan version relies on olives and capers, while Lazio versions commonly include anchovies.
Common mistakes
- Salting the sauce before tasting it: capers, olives and prepared tomato sauce may already provide enough seasoning.
- Browning the garlic aggressively: keep the heat gentle so it perfumes the oil without becoming bitter.
- Cooking the linguine fully before adding it to the pan: leave the final 2 minutes for tossing in the sauce.
Storage & reheating
Best eaten immediately. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container within 2 hours and use within 2 days. Reheat in a frying pan with 15–30 ml water per portion, tossing until steaming hot throughout; the pasta will soften slightly. Sauce prepared separately can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months, subject to the tomato sauce pack’s storage and use-by instructions.
Shop the recipe
Delivered across Hong Kong by SF Express or Lalamove.
FAQ
Should authentic puttanesca contain anchovies?
There are regional variations. This Campanian-style version omits them; anchovies are common in Lazio versions. Neither cream nor butter is needed.
Why are two tomato sauce products listed?
They are alternative pack options. Use the entire 300 g pack or measure 300 g from the 2 kg catering pack. The recipe needs only 300 g tomato sauce in total.
Can I order the tomato sauce for delivery in Hong Kong?
Yes. The Italian Club Hong Kong offers delivery across Hong Kong via SF Express and Lalamove. Linguine and the other ingredients without a product handle need to be sourced separately.