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Spaghetti alla puttanesca

Naples & Campania · No.11 / 103

Spaghetti alla puttanesca

Spaghetti alla puttanesca, 6 ways

A southern Italian dish built entirely from pantry staples: anchovies, capers, and olives. The main forks are when and how the anchovies hit the heat, and whether the olives and capers are sautéed before the sauce comes together or stirred in afterward.

GialloZafferano Vincenzo's Plate Not Another Cooking Show Fabio Chef Ropia (Akifumi Kobayashi) Pasta Grammar
20 min · Difficulty ●●○○○ · 6videos

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GialloZafferanoItaly's largest recipe media outlet (founded 2006, now under Mondadori) Source verified

Traditionalist who pulls the whole garlic cloves before serving

  • Uses whole, peeled garlic cloves to scent the oil, then removes them, in the traditional manner
  • Melts the anchovies in with the chili and garlic over medium heat for 5 minutes, then adds the olives later — a two-stage build
  • Skips cheese and any finishing oil entirely, just flipping the cooked pasta in the sauce pan for 30 seconds
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In the chef’s words
  • Anchovy pasta sauce brings a little bit of that old-world Neapolitan comfort to the table source

References: [1]

Vincenzo's PlateItalian-born, Sydney-based YouTube channel Source verified

Hand-crushes the olives to release their juice

  • Hand-crushes the Kalamata olives before adding them, using the released juice to give the sauce a smoky note
  • Splashes in water while sautéing to keep the garlic from burning
  • Explicitly states that the starch in the pasta water gives the sauce a proper emulsion
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In the chef’s words
  • Pasta water is a valuable ingredient for creating a well-emulsified, thick sauce... the starch in the pasta water helps the sauce adhere to the pasta source

References: [1]

Not Another Cooking ShowSelf-taught chef in New York, running a YouTube channel Source verified

A milder reworking, aimed at winning over a skeptic

  • Chooses mild Castelvetrano olives to work around a dislike of olives and anchovies, balancing them with heat and acidity
  • Swaps the traditional parsley for fresh basil, and adds olive-oil-toasted breadcrumbs as a topping
  • Deglazes the sauce with lemon juice, adding a bright acidity to a recipe built on preserved ingredients
  • Salts the boiling water lightly and uses a small pot to concentrate the starch in the pasta water
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In the chef’s words
  • I hate olives and I hate anchovies... but today I'm going to try and make it and I'm going to try and like it source
  • Not all olives are the same... I discovered the Castelvetrano olives... the flavor's milder, it's less briny source

References: [1] [2]

FabioItalian cook (freelance chef; YouTube channel) Source verified

Sautés the olives and capers in oil before anything else

  • Crushes the garlic and chili together, seeds included, into a paste that becomes the base for a punchy sauce
  • Sautés the olives and capers in oil before anything else, the reverse of the more common Italian method of adding them to a finished tomato sauce
  • Skips sautéing the anchovies, instead melting them into the sauce after the tomato has reduced, to keep the fishy edge in check
  • Adds no salt at all, relying entirely on the processed ingredients' own saltiness and the 1.5%-salted pasta water
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In the chef’s words
  • Puttanesca is said to be a traditional pasta dish from the Campania region of southern Italy source
  • One popular theory behind the name is that it was something busy women could throw together quickly from whatever they had at home source

References: [1]

Chef Ropia (Akifumi Kobayashi)After Ristorante Floria in Nagano (2013 to May 2023) and Ponte Carbo in Aoyama, Tokyo (August 2023 to March 2025), he cooked in Italy as the resident chef at the Japanese Consulate-General in Milan. Now back in Japan and preparing to reopen Ristorante Floria in Nagano in autumn 2026 Source verified

A shortcut approach built on a homemade tomato sauce

  • Builds on a homemade tomato sauce and semi-dried tomatoes prepared in advance, a two-stage setup that shortens the day-of cooking
  • Starts the oil, garlic, and chili in a cold pan and brings the temperature up together — a 'cold start' for drawing out aroma
  • Explicitly tears the olives by hand, noting slicing as an acceptable substitute
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In the chef’s words
  • Using the tomato sauce and semi-dried tomatoes I made before, I think you can build an even more distinctive dish source

References: [1]

Pasta GrammarA husband-and-wife channel: Eva, from Calabria, Italy, and Harper, from the US Source verified

A lighter style built on raw grape tomatoes and black pepper

  • Uses fresh grape tomatoes rather than canned, letting them break down for a lighter sauce
  • Skips chili altogether, using black pepper alone for heat
  • Crushes the garlic with the skin on just to scent the oil, then removes it and fully replaces it with anchovy oil before moving on
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References: [1]

Compared on 9 axes

Figures are transcribed as written in each video or recipe page

AXIS GialloZafferano Vincenzo's Plate Not Another Cooking Show Fabio Chef Ropia (Akifumi Kobayashi) Pasta Grammar
Pasta, amount, and cooking 320g spaghetti (serves 4)300g fettuccineHalf a pound of square spaghetti (per serving, can be doubled)1.7mm spaghettini80g spaghetti160g spaghetti/linguine/penne (serves 2)
Handling of garlic 3 whole peeled cloves; scent the oil, then remove2 crushed cloves; cooked without browning, with splashes of water4 cloves, thinly sliced; deliberately extra for toastinessPeeled, cored, then finely chopped in a crushing motion. About 10g1 clove, sliced (crushing or mincing also noted as fine)Crushed with skin on, just to scent the oil, then removed
Use of chili 2 dried chilies, chopped2 chilies (fresh or dried), finely cut1 tbsp chopped Calabrian chiliChopped with seeds in and crushed together with the garlic (adjust heat to taste)1, heated from cold together with the oil in the panNone — pepperiness comes from black pepper instead
Timing of adding anchovies 25g, sautéed with the garlic and chili over medium heat for 5 minutes until dissolved6 fillets, melted into the oil over low heat with a little water added as needed3 fillets (can go up to 8-10 for more, lightly chopped)Not sautéed — melted into the sauce after the tomato has reduced1 fillet, added once the garlic has turned golden3 fillets, sautéed for 1 minute and melted in
Type and prep of olives 100g pitted Gaeta olives, broken up and added in the back half of the sauce3 tbsp Kalamata olives, hand-crushed to release their juice before addingAbout 5 Castelvetrano olives, pitted and finely choppedPitted and crushed, sautéed in oil first alongside the capersAbout 4, torn by hand (slicing also fine)10 Kalamata olives, sliced and added
Prep of capers 10g salted capers, rinsed and roughly chopped2 tbsp salted capers, well rinsed2 tbsp, chopped along with the olivesAdded to the oil at the same time as the olives to bring out their aroma5g, added at the same time as the anchovy and semi-dried tomato1 tbsp, chopped and added
Type and amount of tomato 800g canned peeled whole tomatoes, lightly crushed, simmered 10 minutes400g canned peeled tomatoes, crushed with a masher and addedHalf a can of Mutti cherry tomatoesWhole peeled tomatoes, added whole and left coarse rather than fully crushed90g homemade tomato sauce plus semi-dried tomatoes (no fresh canned-tomato cooking on the day)35 grape tomatoes, halved and used (no canned tomato)
Finish Chopped parsley only; no cheese or breadcrumbsPlenty of parsley, plus an extra drizzle of olive oilDeglazed with lemon juice; breadcrumbs, basil, and Parmigiano addedNo added salt — relies on the sauce's own saltiness, plus the pasta water for emulsionItalian parsley and a finishing drizzle of oil, dried oregano optionalJust black pepper and chopped parsley; no cheese
Time required 20 minutes prep + 20 minutes cookingNot specifiedNot specified (roughly 20-25 minutes by the pacing of the video)Not specified (video runs about 15 minutes)Not specified (roughly 10 minutes by step count)10 minutes simmering + 2 minutes finishing
Source check Source verifiedSource verifiedSource verifiedSource verifiedSource verifiedSource verified
GialloZafferano Traditionalist who pulls the whole garlic cloves before serving
Pasta, amount, and cooking
320g spaghetti (serves 4)
Handling of garlic
3 whole peeled cloves; scent the oil, then remove
Use of chili
2 dried chilies, chopped
Timing of adding anchovies
25g, sautéed with the garlic and chili over medium heat for 5 minutes until dissolved
Type and prep of olives
100g pitted Gaeta olives, broken up and added in the back half of the sauce
Prep of capers
10g salted capers, rinsed and roughly chopped
Type and amount of tomato
800g canned peeled whole tomatoes, lightly crushed, simmered 10 minutes
Finish
Chopped parsley only; no cheese or breadcrumbs
Time required
20 minutes prep + 20 minutes cooking
Source
Source verified
Vincenzo's Plate Hand-crushes the olives to release their juice
Pasta, amount, and cooking
300g fettuccine
Handling of garlic
2 crushed cloves; cooked without browning, with splashes of water
Use of chili
2 chilies (fresh or dried), finely cut
Timing of adding anchovies
6 fillets, melted into the oil over low heat with a little water added as needed
Type and prep of olives
3 tbsp Kalamata olives, hand-crushed to release their juice before adding
Prep of capers
2 tbsp salted capers, well rinsed
Type and amount of tomato
400g canned peeled tomatoes, crushed with a masher and added
Finish
Plenty of parsley, plus an extra drizzle of olive oil
Time required
Not specified
Source
Source verified
Not Another Cooking Show A milder reworking, aimed at winning over a skeptic
Pasta, amount, and cooking
Half a pound of square spaghetti (per serving, can be doubled)
Handling of garlic
4 cloves, thinly sliced; deliberately extra for toastiness
Use of chili
1 tbsp chopped Calabrian chili
Timing of adding anchovies
3 fillets (can go up to 8-10 for more, lightly chopped)
Type and prep of olives
About 5 Castelvetrano olives, pitted and finely chopped
Prep of capers
2 tbsp, chopped along with the olives
Type and amount of tomato
Half a can of Mutti cherry tomatoes
Finish
Deglazed with lemon juice; breadcrumbs, basil, and Parmigiano added
Time required
Not specified (roughly 20-25 minutes by the pacing of the video)
Source
Source verified
Fabio Sautés the olives and capers in oil before anything else
Pasta, amount, and cooking
1.7mm spaghettini
Handling of garlic
Peeled, cored, then finely chopped in a crushing motion. About 10g
Use of chili
Chopped with seeds in and crushed together with the garlic (adjust heat to taste)
Timing of adding anchovies
Not sautéed — melted into the sauce after the tomato has reduced
Type and prep of olives
Pitted and crushed, sautéed in oil first alongside the capers
Prep of capers
Added to the oil at the same time as the olives to bring out their aroma
Type and amount of tomato
Whole peeled tomatoes, added whole and left coarse rather than fully crushed
Finish
No added salt — relies on the sauce's own saltiness, plus the pasta water for emulsion
Time required
Not specified (video runs about 15 minutes)
Source
Source verified
Chef Ropia (Akifumi Kobayashi) A shortcut approach built on a homemade tomato sauce
Pasta, amount, and cooking
80g spaghetti
Handling of garlic
1 clove, sliced (crushing or mincing also noted as fine)
Use of chili
1, heated from cold together with the oil in the pan
Timing of adding anchovies
1 fillet, added once the garlic has turned golden
Type and prep of olives
About 4, torn by hand (slicing also fine)
Prep of capers
5g, added at the same time as the anchovy and semi-dried tomato
Type and amount of tomato
90g homemade tomato sauce plus semi-dried tomatoes (no fresh canned-tomato cooking on the day)
Finish
Italian parsley and a finishing drizzle of oil, dried oregano optional
Time required
Not specified (roughly 10 minutes by step count)
Source
Source verified
Pasta Grammar A lighter style built on raw grape tomatoes and black pepper
Pasta, amount, and cooking
160g spaghetti/linguine/penne (serves 2)
Handling of garlic
Crushed with skin on, just to scent the oil, then removed
Use of chili
None — pepperiness comes from black pepper instead
Timing of adding anchovies
3 fillets, sautéed for 1 minute and melted in
Type and prep of olives
10 Kalamata olives, sliced and added
Prep of capers
1 tbsp, chopped and added
Type and amount of tomato
35 grape tomatoes, halved and used (no canned tomato)
Finish
Just black pepper and chopped parsley; no cheese
Time required
10 minutes simmering + 2 minutes finishing
Source
Source verified

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1 Pasta & boiling Brand, thickness, salt, water volume, cooking time
2 Base Fat and the main ingredient: rendering, infusing
3 Sauce & emulsion Where you toss, heat level, how much pasta water
4 Finish Cheese, pepper, finishing oil, plating

The map of schools: where the heat is managed

For Spaghetti alla puttanesca, the fork in the road is how you emulsify and heat

Toss over direct heat

The pan stays on the flame and your hands manage the temperature. Fast, but it takes feel.

Indirect heat

Bain-marie, steam, double boiler or a hand blender. Repeatable, at the cost of one extra step.

  • No styles here

Off the heat

Emulsify after killing the flame, or in a bowl with only the pasta’s residual heat. Hard to get wrong.

  • No styles here
Total timeActual values from 5 styles. Equal values stack vertically
8.2 min12.8 min17.5 min22.1 min26.8 minChef Ropia (Akifumi Kobayashi): Not specified (roughly 10 minutes by step count)CRPasta Grammar: 10 minutes simmering + 2 minutes finishingESFabio: Not specified (video runs about 15 minutes)FGialloZafferano: 20 minutes prep + 20 minutes cookingGNot Another Cooking Show: Not specified (roughly 20-25 minutes by the pacing of the video)SC

What to serve after this

In an Italian meal the primo (pasta) is followed by a secondo (main course)

Naples & Campania 35 min

Pesce all'acqua pazza

Pesce all'acqua pazza

A whole white fish briefly simmered with garlic, cherry tomatoes, and water — a fisherman's dish from the coast of southern Italy. It's said to have started aboard boats with no refrigeration, where fishermen poached the day's catch in seawater instead of salt. Recreated on land by mixing seawater and fresh water, the result tends to come out too salty, which is why the name is explained through the Neapolitan phrase for too much salt, "te fa ascì pazz" ("it drives you crazy") — giving the dish its name, "crazy water". It spread to restaurants across the country in the 1950s-60s after the actor Totò became known for ordering it.

Pairs with: Spaghetti alla puttanesca / Pasta al Limone / Spaghetti allo scoglio

It comes from the same Naples-to-Tyrrhenian-coast tradition, sharing the same lineage of garlic, olive oil, and tomato. The shared home ground makes this an easy match.

Sicily 60 min

Caponata siciliana

Caponata siciliana

A Sicilian dish of fried eggplant simmered in a sweet-and-sour agrodolce sauce with celery, onion, olives and capers. Today it is served as a contorno or antipasto, and it is registered as a traditional agri-food product (P.A.T.) of the Sicily region.

Pairs with: Pasta alla Norma / Pasta con le Sarde / Pesto alla trapanese

A pairing that shares the ingredients olives and capers. Following a warm tomato primo with a room-temperature, sweet-and-sour vegetable dish lets the same ingredients reset the palate through a shift in temperature and acidity.

Naples & Campania 75 min

Polpette al sugo

Polpette al sugo

A Neapolitan home-style dish of meatballs made from mixed ground beef and pork, hiding pine nuts and raisins inside, dusted with flour, fried, and then simmered in tomato sauce. Tucking pine nuts and raisins into the center is the distinctive Neapolitan touch, and the sauce the meat is simmered in is also used to dress pasta.

Pairs with: Ragù napoletano / La Genovese napoletana / Spaghetti alla puttanesca

A tomato sauce from the same Campania region. It finishes light thanks to the saltiness of olives and capers, so as the primo it doesn't reverse the weight against the fried, simmered meat that follows as the secondo.

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