Pasta Puttanesca
with Herb Salad
Puttanesca sauce is a traditional Italian dish that gets its unique briny flavor from capers and olives, and its acidity from good-quality whole peeled tomatoes. We’ve used the technique of chopping the tomatoes directly in the can, giving the sauce authentic body and texture. A quick herb salad rounds out the meal. Make sure to serve it alongside some crusty bread—you won’t want any of the sauce to go to waste.
INGREDIENTS
- Salt*
- 1 red onion
- Garlic**
- 8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil*
- Pepper*
- 1 can whole peeled tomatoes
- 1/2 cup pitted black olives
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 1 pound whole wheat chiocciole
- Fresh parsley
- Fresh chives
- 8 ounces romaine lettuce
- 1 lemon
- *not included
- **one head of garlic included in one of the meal bags
INSTRUCTIONS
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Trim, peel, and chop the onion and 4 garlic cloves. Put 4 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 2 cups 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 into the bowl. Add 4 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.