Italian Delights

Penne Puttanesca

Serves 2

Olive and caper pasta: it’s no wonder this dish has become a beloved recipe beyond the borders of Italy. Puttanesca is made in a flash from only a few pantry ingredients.

• 300g (10.5oz) dried penne or spaghetti
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 chilli, finely diced
• 400g (14.1oz) diced canned tomatoes
• 90g (3.1oz) black olives
• 30g (1oz) capers
• ½ crushed nori sheet, optional
• Handful of parsley, chopped
• Dash of salt

1 Cook the penne or spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water for 8-12 minutes or until al dente. Penne will need a longer cooking time than spaghetti. Drain but reserve 60ml (2fl oz) of the pasta cooking water.

2 Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the garlic and chilli. Lower the heat and cook for about 1 minute, being careful not to burn the garlic.

3 Stir through the tomatoes, olives, capers, and nori (if using). Cover and simmer for approximately 10 minutes, stirring often. If the sauce becomes too dry, add a dash of water.

Transfer the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir through