I’m warning you. The weather cooling off only means one thing. Over the next few months, I’m going to bombard you with soups, sauces and stews.

 

Let’s start with this delightful puttanesca sauce. It’s a rich tomato-based sauce with kalamata olives and anchovies. Doesn’t that make your mouth water?

 

I love all the ingredients in this dish; your family will love it on pasta or even a light seafood (a fish or even shrimp) and serve it with garlic bread. I made it a few weeks ago, and it was gobbled up pretty quickly.

 

Puttanesca Sauce

Adapted from www.foodandwine.com

 

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 6 anchovy fillets
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • One 35-ounce can whole peeled Italian tomatoes with their juices, crushed by hand
  • Pinch of sugar
  • 2 basil sprigs
  • 1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
  • 1/4 cup green olives
  • 1 tablespoon capers, drained
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

 

Directions

  1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil. Add the garlic, anchovies and crushed red pepper and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
  3. Add the canned tomatoes with their juices. Stir in the sugar, basil, olives and capers. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
  4. Simmer the sauce over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it thickens and is reduced to 3 cups, about 30 minutes.
  5. Season again with salt and pepper. Discard the basil sprigs and garlic.

 Make Ahead

The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.