Pasta puttanesca or 'prostitute's pasta' is a delicious dish that you can rustle up in no time. This vegan and gluten-free version substitutes the traditional anchovies for dried seaweed.
14oz(400 g) dried spaghetti(use GF pasta to make this gluten-free)
2tablespoonsolive oil
1red onion, finely chopped
6garlic cloves, finely chopped
1fresh chilli, finely sliced(optional)
2tablespoonscapers
1cup(150 g) pitted black olives
2large sheets of nori (dried seaweed), roughly chopped or blitzed in a blender
14oz(400 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh basil leaves(to serve)
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Instructions
While preparing the ingredients, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package instructions.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the red onion, garlic, and chilli.
After frying for a few minutes, add in the olives, capers, and seaweed. For a little extra flavour, add in a spoonful of the caper brine. Stir well, cook for a couple of minutes, and then add the halved cherry tomatoes, salt, and pepper.
Cook for around 6-8 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down to create a thick sauce, adjusting the seasoning if necessary. Top tip: Add some of the pasta cooking water to the sauce. The salty, starchy water helps to season and thicken it, and stops it from drying out. You can keep adding spoonfuls of the pasta cooking water until you're ready to plate up.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and stir it through the puttanesca sauce, coating evenly. Serve with fresh basil, vegan parmesan, and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
Notes
Dried seaweed: If you don’t have dried seaweed (nori) sheets, you could substitute these for powdered seaweed. 1-2 tablespoons should be enough. You could also omit this ingredient altogether if you're not keen on the flavour.Pasta: While best with spaghetti, this puttanesca sauce is great with any type of pasta. It’s always better to cook the pasta ‘to order’ – i.e. if there are two of you eating, just cook 7-9 oz (200-250 g) of pasta and save the rest of the sauce for the next time you want to eat.Chilli: If you don’t like heat, skip the chilli. I just like the extra zing it adds. Tinned tomatoes: If you don’t have fresh tomatoes, you can easily replace these with a 14 oz (400 g) tin of whole plum tomatoes or chopped tomatoes. If using plum tomatoes, break these apart in the pan with a spoon.Add some cheese: Why not top this pasta off with some 4-ingredient vegan parmesan? Other additions: There are so many ingredients you could add to this dish, from roasted aubergine or peppers to pan-fried mushrooms. Storage: You can store this vegan puttanesca sauce in the fridge for up to four days or in the freezer for up to six months.If you liked this recipe, you might also enjoy:
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