Pasta Pronto!!!

Looking for a quick pasta dish?

This is my variation of Pasta Puttanesca. Traditionally, Puttanesca is a heavy tomato sauce, but my version uses all of the elements of Pasta Puttanesca and makes it a little lighter. I love the mix of saltiness from the capers and olives with the sweetness of the tomatoes. This recipe is quick, simple and delicious.

Don't be scared of the anchovy paste, once cooked it tastes nothing like fish, I promise, but if you really want you can leave it out. I used spaghettini for the pasta but you can use any of your  favorite pasta noodles.

Pasta Puttanesca
Serves 4

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  
• 2 tsp. anchovy paste
• 1/4 tsp. chili flakes (optional)
  
• 1 cup pitted kalamata olives
• 2 tbsp. capers, drained
• 1 cup sundried tomatoes, cut into julienne
  
• 2 1 pint containers of grape or cherry tomatoes
  
• 1 (454g) package of pasta of your choice
• 1 cup basil, roughly chopped
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese 

1. Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.
2. Heat a medium sized sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, garlic, anchovy paste and chili flakes and cook until garlic starts to become golden
3. Add in the olives, capers and both the tomatoes. Lower the heat and let simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the grape tomatoes have burst and released their juices.
4. While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta according to the package directions and drain.
5. With the back of a wooden spoon, crush any remaining whole grape tomatoes, season the sauce with  pepper than toss with the cooked pasta. Top with the chopped basil and the Parmesan.

Buon appetito!