Simple Spaghetti with a twist

Well this picture is not exactly pretty, sorry about that, but this dish was pretty good.  It was definitely really easy, which is always a plus AND I was able to re-use some of the more obscure ingredients that I recently purchased, double plus.  While this was definitely not a 5 star hit, I think it is a great staple meal when you are looking for pasta with the ease of spaghetti, but don't necessarily want plain old spaghetti.  If you like capers and kalamata olives, I can pretty much guarantee you will like this dish, if not, well you probably won't like it.  Give it a try on a night that you really don't feel like cooking.  ENJOY!

Spaghetti Puttanesca

S&P

1 lb spaghetti

1 T olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

6 anchovy fillets (optional) I used paste

1 can (28oz) whole peeled tomatoes in juice

2 T capers, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup kalamata olives, chopped

Bring pot of water to a boil; add salt.  Cook pasta until al dente.  Drain pasta and return to pot.

Meanwhile, heat oil in skillet and add garlic, red pepper flakes, and anchovies.  Cook stirring until garlic is fragrant but not browning, about 2 min.  

Break up tomatoes with kitchen shears or hands, and add them to the pan along with their juice.  Stir in capers and olives.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook until tomatoes are softened and sauce is thickened, about 5-10 min.

Add sauce to pot and toss with pasta to combine; season with S&P.  

Serves 4-6.

There was definitely TONS of leftover for us, at least 4 servings.

Logan Rating: ***