“Puttanesca”
Once or twice, I’ve explained here somewhere how I define a gourmand: Someone who enjoys indulging in good food without necessarily punching a hole in the pocket. I strive to recreate my all-time favorites into something more budget friendly, and my “Puttanesca” is an example.
I put quotation marks on my “Puttanesca” because food critics would surely argue that it’s not the real thing—but I assure you, it’s close! A defining ingredient in any puttanesca recipe is anchovies. Not everyone likes it, but puttanesca is not puttanesca without it. My budget friendly take on this dish, however, replaces the expensive anchovies with the readily available bagoong or shrimp paste. Similar taste (at least my gourmet gourmand tongue says so), and modesty aside, it works. So why not?
My “Puttanesca” recipe can be served as a main course or as an afternoon tummy filler. Give this a try and let me know what you think in the comments!
- 500 g linguine
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon shrimp paste
- Pinch of red chili flakes
- 2 cans crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups black olives
- 1 cup capers
- 1 ½ tablespoons dried oregano
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Add a generous amount of salt into the boiling water, as this is your only chance to season the pasta well.
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the ingredients: Finely mince the garlic, slice the black olives lengthwise, and drain the capers.
- Heat the oil in the pan. Sauté the garlic under low heat until slightly brown but not burnt, around one to two minutes.
- Add the shrimp paste and a tablespoon of shrimp paste oil. Cook for three minutes.
- Add a pinch of red chili flakes to add some heat. Cook for one minute.
- Increase the heat to medium low. Add the crushed tomatoes. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Mix in the black olives, capers and dried oregano. Simmer for an additional five minutes.
- Toss in the cooked pasta while it’s still warm. This lets the pasta absorb the sauce better. If the sauce is too thick, add a little pasta water.
- Top with parmesan cheese and serve.
As with many other food bloggers out there, I am no chef. I come with no culinary training whatsoever, and so it’s not at all surprising that my kitchen adventures are punctuated by frequent mishaps and blunders. Yet, there are recipes that I seem to make much better than others. And so, after years of prodding from family and friends, here I am, sharing the little that I know.
Why “gourmand,” you ask? Simply because I like making and eating good food. I can eat a lot, too—so there you go!