So Many Dishes

I knew I had a problem when I saw this prompt. There are a number of dishes that I think I make particularly well, and really enjoy cooking. There are others, like the pumpkin cupcakes I’ve written about earlier, that are often-requested family favorites. So I decided to ask for help. When I queried Ken, his immediate answer was, pasta puttanesca. How could I have missed this? The dish has been renamed “Nana’s noodles,” because that’s what our granddaughter calls it. It’s her request when they come here. In fact, I’ve made it a number of times at our son’s home, because Emmalyn requests it if we’re there, too.

My other dilemma was whether I had a picture, because I really don’t want to blog about a dish, particularly if I’m including the recipe, if I don’t have a photo. These days I take a picture of pretty much every dinner, but I haven’t made puttanesca since I started the blog. Fortunately, I found one from a few months ago, so I was good to go.

My recipe is based on the one from The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook by Nancy Harmon Jenkins, one of the most well used books in my collection. It makes a generous amount of sauce, probably enough for 1 1/2 pounds of spaghetti. I’m sitting here, looking at the picture, and wondering if I can really wait until our granddaughter is here, or if this is going on next week’s menu.

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 6 canned anchovy fillets, soaked in milk for 10 minutes, and drained
• 1/2 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
• 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1 14-oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons drained capers
• 1 cup pitted black olives, preferably kalamata
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 pounds spaghetti or other long, thin pasta

In a heavy saucepan or skillet over medium heat-low heat, gently sauté the onion, garlic, and carrot in the oil until the vegetables are wilted but not starting to brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Chop the drained anchovies and add them to the vegetables together with half the minced parsley. Cook, stirring and pressing the anchovies with a wooden spoon, until they are melted into the sauce, about 5 minutes.

Raise the heat to medium and add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and oregano. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the juice from the diced tomatoes has reduced a bit, about 5 minutes. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Turn the heat off, add the capers and olives. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as desired.

While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain, turn into a serving bowl, and pour the sauce over the pasta. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley, and serve. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Happy eating!