The first time I had pasta puttanesca I was waitressing at a restaurant in Park Slope. A fellow waitress told me that it was the pasta that Italian whores ate. She was always saying things like, “I spilled ketchup all over my tits,” and pronouncing “mimosa” in a really suggestive way. I just figured she was telling me that so she could say the word “whore” while slurping down linguine, but it is actually true, pasta putanesca is the pasta of whores. And I can see why.
If you’re anything like me you always have a gigantic thing of capers and olives in your fridge (not to mention great bone structure and an impressive unicorn collection.) Puttanesca is a really quick way to put together a complex tasting – passionate even – dish with pantry staples. Succulent, salty and a little spicy, the ingredients and method are simple enough that you can prep it, cook it and clean up after yourself in a leisurely 30 minutes, and then get back to the matter at hand, whether that be sex with strangers for money or updating your blog.
I’m always on the look out for ways to incorporate quinoa and other grains into my lunches, so it’s pretty brainless to just make a traditional pasta sauce and toss it on a grain instead. I like to make a big batch of quinoa at the beginning of the week and store it for a few days. If you don’t have a few cups of cooked quinoa around then see directions below* and start your quinoa before starting your sauce.
Quinoa Puttanesca – The Quinoa of Whores
Serves 4
2 to 3 cups cooked quinoa
For the sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
generous pinch each tarragon and marjoram
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup kalamata olives, roughly chopped (sliced in half is great)
1/2 cup capers
20 ounce can crushed tomatoes
fresh black pepper
Preheat a sauce pot over medium heat. Add the oil and garlic and stir for about a minute, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add herbs, spices and wine; cook for about a minute.
Add olives, capers and tomatoes. Cook for about 15 minutes. You can serve either by scooping quinoa into individual bowls and pouring the sauce over it, but my way is to just mix everything into a bowl together and reserve a little sauce to pour over my serving, because I like it extra whore-y. There is no rosemary in the recipe, but my food porn was looking a little naked so I garnished it with some.
For some reason, Jason Das named all the capers in the photo on my FlickR, so if that thought entertains you then you can go check that out.
*Mix one cup dry quinoa with 2 cups water, bring to a boil then lower heat and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until grain is tender and water has been absorbed.
This was delicious. It has a kick (I’m new to quinoa and puttanesca). I was looking for a quinoa recipe that didn’t serve it as a side dish and this was it. You’ve gotta love olives though! And tomatoes. (Thankfully I love both).
I am a purranesca fan, but don’t always want the heaviness of pasta, so when I saw this recipe I knew I wanted to give it a go, though I was skeptical that quinoa would give it enough bulk so that it wasn’t just a bowl of sauce. I made this dish last weekend and have had it for lunch several times this week. It’s DELICIOUS and, I think, a really sassy way to get my quinoa on. This will be a staple recipe for me, thanks so much for another winner! xo melissa
This was easy to pull together and ever so tasty. I am a HUGE kalamata olive fan, so I love the salty deliciousness of the sauce. Thanks so much Isa!
This has been my ‘go-to broke-ass’ dish for quite some time. So Goooood! If you like it extra whore-ey, I recommend plying this recipe with more cheap booze. That’s when she gets really saucy… ahahaohohohooooo!! I *kill* myself!! Aidez-moi… ;D
Yum. Of course my carnivore husband has some suggestions for additions…but I love it just the way it is!
Puttanesca actually means ‘in the style a whore would make’ and is so named because in Italy, women of the night were only allowed to do their grocery shopping once a week on a specific day, to keep them from crossing paths with housewives and starting fights. They had to buy ingredients that would keep for an entire week because of this, thus capers, olives, canned tomatoes.
I was told that it was called Puttanesca, because it is Hot Fast and Easy, like a whore!
I finally tried this. It is first quinoa dish i have liked and I lived five years in the Andes! I’m sure I will be craving this on a regular basis!
Delicious puttanesca. I have made it several times with all kinds of olives, and different wines. But I also have to add that my Sicilian family lore has it that it’s called puttanesca … because it’s fast, easy, and cheap.
This is the best recipe EVER! WOW, so freaking delicious– thank you!!
I love this recipe. Reading through the comments made me love YOU! Way to handle all the know-it-all posts. You rock
Would white wine vinegar work in place of the white wine at all? I already have pretty much all of the ingredients except for that, and there’s an awfully bitter wind outside that’s working very hard on keeping me indoors. If white wine vinegar won’t work, are there any other suitable substitutes? Thanks!
I would just skip it and use broth instead. Add a little lemon juice if you think it could use the acidity.
You’re picture has kidney beans but the recipe does not…? I’m a little confused. Looks god with the beans…but is it necessary since quinoa already is a source of protein.
Those are olives!But beans never hurt anything 🙂
This recipe is AMAZING!! Aside from the fact that it is so easy to make. It tastes heavenly. I <3 quinoa! Love all your recipes! You are truly a talented and awesome human being! Keep on rocking!
I have been making this puttanesca but instead of serving it over quinoa, I serve it with roasted eggplant and sliced baby portobello mushrooms. Delicious!!!! Dumb question though… The only canned crushed tomatoes I can find are 28oz rather than 20, so that’s what I’ve been using. Would it be way better if I used a little less tomatoes?