Pasta Puttanesca

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Trim, peel, and chop the onion and 2 garlic cloves. Put 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the onions and a pinch each of salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Open the can of tomatoes and use a large knife to cut the tomatoes while still in the can. Add the tomatoes to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until they’re starting to break down, 5 to 7 minutes. Chop the olives. Add the olives and capers to the pan and stir. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook until the sauce is slightly thickened, another 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and stir occasionally. Start checking for doneness after 7 minutes; it should be tender but not mushy. Remove about 1 cup of the cooking water and reserve. When the pasta is done, drain it into a colander. Meanwhile, rinse and dry the parsley, chives, and lettuce. Trim the parsley, strip the leaves from the stems, and put them in a large bowl. Chop the chives and lettuce and add them to the bowl. Rinse and halve the lemon; squeeze the juice of 1 half into the bowl (save the rest for another use). Add 2 tablespoons oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat the salad; taste and adjust the seasoning.

Add the pasta to the skillet and stir to coat with the sauce; add some of the reserved cooking water if the pasta becomes dry. Serve the pasta with the herb salad alongside.