Easy Vegan Low-Fat Pasta Puttanesca Recipe With Capers and Olives (2024)

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Jolinda Hackett

Jolinda Hackett has written five books about plant-based cooking and has developed hundreds of vegan and vegetarian recipes.

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Updated on 03/1/22

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Easy Vegan Low-Fat Pasta Puttanesca Recipe With Capers and Olives (1)

While there's no clear history of the origin of pasta puttanesca, every version of the story points to Naples as its place of origin. Wasn't inventing pizza enough for this beautiful port city? It can claim this extraordinary recipe, too, so fresh and simple that it's impossible not to fall in love with it. Known locally as aulive e chiapparielle, or olives and capers, the recipe also includes tomatoes, red chili flakes, and fresh basil to concoct a deliciously briny and boldly flavored sauce that coats pasta to perfection. Usually served with linguini or vermicelli, the sauce works well with spaghetti, too, and short pasta pairs with the sauce just fine if that's what you have at hand. In true Italian tradition, this pasta is not served with cheese, but rather a fresh green salad and some crusty bread to soak up the juicy tomatoes. Once your water is boiling, it's time to start the sauce: add the pasta to the pot once all the sauce ingredients are in the pan and serve dinner in just 15 minutes.

Vegan in essence, this pasta has another version coming from the Lazio region of Italy in which anchovies are added to the sauce. Ours is vegan and can be made gluten-free just by swapping durum wheat pasta for rice or chickpea pasta. For our recipe, we choose convenient canned crushed tomatoes, but if you have a bounty of juicy and ripe summer tomatoes, simply chop them finely and add them to the pan as you'd add their canned counterpart. We choose sweet and fruity Kalamata olives because of their flavor, but Italian salty and tart Gaeta olives are also widely used for this preparation. Use either or a combination of both if you are lucky enough to have them at hand. In both cases, taste the sauce before adding more salt, as the olives, capers, and the tablespoon of olive brine are already very salt.

This sauce can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for up to three days. Double the recipe if you want some for later and freeze half in ice cube trays so you can defrost and use the necessary amounts without thawing too much of it. Delicious puttanesca can double as a base for other recipes, such as a no-cheese lasagna with layers of pasta sheets and grilled vegetables. Use it to stew tofu, tempeh, or seitan, and serve over brown rice or couscous for another delightful vegan meal with these bright and delicious puttanesca flavors.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

  • 2 tablespoons capers

  • 1/4 cup slicedKalamata olives

  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

  • 1 dash salt, or to taste

  • 1 dash freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

  • 1 tablespoon olive brine

  • 1 (14-ounce) cancrushed tomatoes

  • 1/2 pound dried pasta

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Easy Vegan Low-Fat Pasta Puttanesca Recipe With Capers and Olives (2)

  2. Sauté the garlic in olive oil for a minute or two.

    Easy Vegan Low-Fat Pasta Puttanesca Recipe With Capers and Olives (3)

  3. Add the basil, capers, olives, and red pepper flakes, and cook for another 2 minutes.

    Easy Vegan Low-Fat Pasta Puttanesca Recipe With Capers and Olives (4)

  4. Reduce heat to low, and add the brine and tomatoes.

    Easy Vegan Low-Fat Pasta Puttanesca Recipe With Capers and Olives (5)

  5. Cover and simmer for at least 15 minutes.

    Easy Vegan Low-Fat Pasta Puttanesca Recipe With Capers and Olives (6)

  6. Serve hot over cooked pasta.

    Easy Vegan Low-Fat Pasta Puttanesca Recipe With Capers and Olives (7)

  7. Serve and enjoy!

More Vegetarian/Vegan Pasta Recipes

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
177Calories
6g Fat
27g Carbs
5g Protein

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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories177
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g8%
Saturated Fat 1g4%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 487mg21%
Total Carbohydrate 27g10%
Dietary Fiber 3g12%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 10mg52%
Calcium 52mg4%
Iron 2mg14%
Potassium 335mg7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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Easy Vegan Low-Fat Pasta Puttanesca Recipe With Capers and Olives (2024)

FAQs

What does the Italian word puttanesca mean in English? ›

Puttanesca translates as “in the style of the whore.” The name derives from the Italian word puttana which means whore. Puttana in turn arises from the Latin word putida which means stinking.

What is a substitute for anchovies in puttanesca? ›

What Can I Use Instead Of Anchovy In Puttanesca? There really is no perfect substitute for the anchovies in Puttanesca sauce, but you can use miso paste, fish sauce or even just a little extra salt. Some say seaweed makes for an excellent vegan substitute.

What is puttanesca sauce made of? ›

Bold and comforting in the best way, puttanesca sauce is made of simple pantry staples including canned tomatoes, garlic, anchovies, olives and capers. Throw in some spaghetti for the perfect pasta puttanesca any night of the week!

What is another name for puttanesca? ›

In Naples, this type of pasta sauce commonly goes under the name aulive e chiapparielle (olives and capers). The dish under its current name first appears in gastronomic literature in the 1960s.

What to pair with puttanesca? ›

Chianti Classico pairs wonderfully with Puttanesca due to its bright acidity and herbal notes. The wine's red cherry and plum flavors complement the tomato-based sauce, while its earthy hints and spice align well with the dish's briny olives and anchovies.

What does macaroni mean in Italian slang? ›

Origins and etymology

They would refer to anything that was fashionable or à la mode as "very maccaroni". The Italian term maccherone, when figuratively meaning "blockhead, fool", was apparently not related to this British usage, though both were derived from the name of the pasta shape.

What can I use in place of capers in puttanesca? ›

What's the Best Substitute for Capers? Try These 9 Ideas
  • Green olives. They're salty, they're acidic, they're savory, they're buried somewhere in your fridge—what more can you ask for? ...
  • Lemon. What a difference a squeeze of fresh lemon makes. ...
  • Pickles. ...
  • Green peppercorns. ...
  • Thyme. ...
  • Caper berries. ...
  • Artichoke hearts. ...
  • Anchovies.
Apr 15, 2020

Can capers replace anchovies? ›

Capers – With their salty, briny flavor, capers perfectly replace the anchovies and Worcestershire sauce.

What is a vegan substitute for anchovies? ›

Yeast extract, such as Marmite or Vegemite, can also be used as a vegetarian substitute for anchovies. These spreads are made from yeast and have a savory, umami flavor that can be used to add depth to soups and stews.

Is puttanesca good for you? ›

Pasta Puttanesca is packed with tomato nutrition

As a rule, the smaller the tomato, the more flavor and lycopene it has. Cooked with a little oil, the nutrients become more available for your body to use them. Fresh and canned tomatoes improve health by reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer.

What sauce is made from olives? ›

This olive tapenade recipe has a delicious mix of fresh, salty, and briny flavors. Serve it with crackers or baguette for a simple summer appetizer!

What does capers taste like? ›

The taste of a caper is reminiscent of the lemony tang and brininess of green olives, but with a smack of floral tartness all their own. Because they're packed in brine, capers also have a very salty, savory flavor profile.

What is the generic name for olives? ›

Olive (Olea europaea) is a tree with edible fruit, leaves, and seeds. The fruit and leaves are sometimes used as medicine.

What is the taste of puttanesca? ›

Puttanesca sauce recipes will vary based on what ingredients are available on-hand, but traditionally, puttanesca sauce tastes salty from the olives and anchovies with a sweet kick from the tomatoes and oil. Puttanesca is a unique variation from traditional tomato sauces, but its flavor profile is hard to beat.

What is another name for Castelvetrano olives? ›

Castelvetrano olives are Italy's most ubiquitous snack olive. Bright green, they're often referred to as dolce (sweet), and come from Castelvetrano, Sicily, from the olive variety nocerella del belice.

What kind of food is the Italian puttanesca? ›

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca is a traditional Italian pasta from Naples that's quick to put together from pantry staples. If you have canned tomatoes, garlic, olives, anchovies and capers in your cupboard, you can knock out this simple but flavourful sauce in a flash.

What is Italian slang for anchovies? ›

The alici (or acciughe) of Italy are plump, flavourful and among the best in the world.

References

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