Folklore has it that puttanesca (prostitute) sauce originated when a resourceful woman of the night cooked up a tasty sauce fast enough to make between...um...engagements. Perhaps it's lively medley of savory flavors with a bit of heat is intended just to add some excitement & spice to your life. Whatever its origins, we owe a debt of gratitude to puttanesca's originator – it's delicious!

Cathy Katin-Grazzini
Cathy's Kitchen Prescription LLC
www.cathyskitchenprescription.com
 
Pasta alla Puttanesca
Serves 4-6 Prep time = 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 medium red onion, diced
4-5 cloves garlic, diced
½ nori sheet, toasted & ground
No-sodium vegetable broth to deglaze
1 28-oz can good quality organic whole tomatoes
3 tbs capers
½ cup black olives, gaeta or kalamata, whole (or pitted and coarsely chopped)
3-4 dried arbol or similar chilii whole or ½ tsp red pepper flakes
1/3 cup fresh Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
1 lb whole wheat spaghetti or linguini
Plate and garnish with additional parsley or basil leaves and/or nutritional yeast
 
Directions
Toast nori over burner with tongs; grind in a coffee/spice grinder
Heat stainless pan medium high for several minutes to heat thoroughly
Dry sauté onions until softened and carmelized
Add garlic and nori, cook for 1 minute, do not allow to brown
Deglaze with a minimal amount of broth to deglaze pan
Lower heat to medium
Add tomatoes and chili, break up with masher or fork, cook for 5 minutes
Add capers and olives, cook for 5 minutes
Taste to correct salt, capers, olives, chilis, as needed
When all flavors are balanced and tomatoes have broken down, turn off heat and stir in parsley.
 
Heat large pot of water
Add sufficient salt to taste
Add pasta to rapidly boiling water and stir
Stir every few minutes and taste
Do not overcook
Drain, reserving a cup of starchy water
 
Mix drained pasta into pan with sauce.
Add small amount of starchy cooking water & heat for final minute to allow the starch in the water & pasta to create a thicker, creamier sauce.
Garnish with additional parsley and/or nutritional yeast, as desired.
 
Buon appetito!