Pasta Puttanesca

One of my favorite recipes to make is puttanesca.  I'm not even a huge fan of tomatoes or tomato based sauces, but I really like puttanesca sauce, especially with penne pasta and shrimp!  So good!  I've even made it for dinner for the past few Christmas Eves.  Then a few days ago I realized that not only do I make it on Christmas Eve, it's the only day I make it all year!  That is just crazy.. It's super easy and one of my favorite pasta sauces.  So I decided it was time that an ordinary weeknight was going to become puttanesca night.

I should point out right now that puttanesca while an amazing sauce, is sort of an odd choice of Christmas Eve and has a somewhat "scandalous" background.  Although I couldn't find the exact translation on the internet, "puttanesca" basically means "in the style of the lady of the night" and according to one version of the story, it got this name because the ladies would put together the sauce and set it out their windows, letting it cook all day and attract the men.

Regardless of its origins, puttanesca is a great dish and while I've used various recipes, the one I made most recently was actually from Weight Watchers, however I changed so many things that the points are probably no longer accurate.

Pasta Puttanesca with Tilapia, Serves 8

1 lb Thin Spaghetti
4 tsp olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 28 oz can whole tomatoes in puree with basil
4 tbsp each black and green olives, chopped
3 tbsp nonpareil capers, drained
2 tsp dried oregano
To taste red pepper flakes, salt and pepper
8 pieces of tilapia

Directions:

Cook spaghetti

Heat oil.  Add the garlic, let it cook for about 30 seconds.

 

Add olives, capers (I left some of the juice from the jar)...

...tomatoes, oregano and pepper flakes, also salt and pepper.  Bring to boil.  

 

Reduce and simmer about 10 minutes; breaking up tomatoes whenever possible.  Let slightly thicken.

While the sauce is cooking, put tilapia in glass baking dishes and top with a little garlic butter.  Bake about 30-45 mins or until flaky.

Serve: pasta, fish and then sauce on top!  Enjoy!  You can substitute shrimp for fish.

This recipe was a pretty good one, but I didn't think it had as much flavor as some of the other puttanesca recipes I've had and I think that it's because there were no anchovies in this recipe.  Next time, I would add a few anchovy filets to the garlic instead of the oil and let them break up before adding the rest of the ingredients!

So whether you are looking to entice a "suitor" or just looking for a good dish for dinner, you should definitely try out this meal!