Spaghetti Puttanesca {with Roasted or Canned Tomatoes}

The Strange and Interesting Origins of Spaghetti Puttanesca

Rumor has it that spaghetti puttanesca originated in brothels as a way to lure in customers with its rich aroma. All I can say is that I hope the ladies saved some for themselves. Goodness knows they probably needed it more than their customers. 😉

Origins aside, spaghetti puttanesca is one of my all-time favorite pasta dishes.

In the summer, when tomatoes are ripe and delicious, I love to make it with Roasted Tomato Sauce. But, you can just as easily make it with canned tomatoes, making it one of those quick year-round dishes you can whip up any time you have a hankering.

(FYI: I always have a hankering for pasta.)

Spaghetti Puttanesca is a Year-Round Dish with Fresh Seasonal Options

This is one of those dishes that you can take your time with, roasting a big tray of ripe tomatoes for Roasted Tomato Sauce and rolling out a batch of fresh, homemade spaghetti noodles before you even begin making the puttanesca sauce.

It's also the kind of dish you can whip up in under 30 minutes with ingredients pulled entirely from your pantry.

Since spaghetti puttanesca is one of the dishes I like to make several times a year, I do both.

In the summer, when tomatoes are at their peak, Roasted Tomato Sauce is a staple ingredient in our house. I make tray after tray of it, freezing or canning as much of the stuff as possible so I can pretend tomatoes are in season even when they're not.

But... the summer's roasted tomato sauce doesn't last long in our house. One of these years, I will perhaps manage to make enough to last us through the winter. But, as of today, I can tell you that's never happened.

If we're lucky, we still have a bag in the freezer (or a jar in the pantry) in early December. (We're rarely that lucky.)

So, from about November through June, if we're eating spaghetti puttanesca, it's made with canned tomatoes. And, honestly, it's just as good as when it's made with roasted tomato sauce. Which is the beauty of this dish.

If you're using canned tomatoes, try to find ones that say they were "fire roasted". I love the fire roasted tomatoes from Muir Glen. But, use whatever variety you prefer.

What Kind of Pasta is Best for Spaghetti Puttanesca?

My friend Judy got me hooked on making homemade pasta a couple of years ago and I haven't looked back. Ok. That's not 100% true. I was kind of a slow learner.

First, I thought I could make homemade pasta without a pasta machine. Don't try this. If you do, you'll think pasta making is a ridiculous amount of work for so-so pasta and are liable to give up on the whole endeavor. Just buy a pasta machine.

This is the one I have.

My friend Judy has this same machine, but with a motor. I have the one with the hand crank. They are both awesome. The motor does make feeding the pasta through the machine a bit faster, but I didn't feel like it made enough of a difference to justify the extra expense.

Either way you go, you really gotta have a pasta machine if you're going to make homemade pasta. Trust me.

Second, it took me a few tries to get a feel for the consistency of the dough. Pasta dough isn't like bread dough.

For most kinds of bread dough, like my favorite homemade white bread, you want the moisture level to be fairly high. With pasta making, you want the dough to be pretty dry, adding just enough moisture to create a pliable, smooth dough.

This took a bit of practice and I piled all my tips into this recipe for homemade spaghetti noodles so you can get it right on the first try. Because the reward of fresh pasta is so totally worth it.

More Delicious Pasta Recipes:

One of easiest recipes I know how to make is also the most delicious - brown butter sauce pasta with parmesan and crispy bread crumbs. Like spaghetti puttanesca, brown butter pasta is especially delicious when made with homemade spaghetti noodles.

Two more super quick weeknight dinner recipes are this 20-minute garlic chipotle pasta which can be made with or without chicken and classic chicken piccata.

And for pure warm and homey comfort food, look no further than pasta bolognese or spaghetti with homemade marinara sauce.

If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or take a picture and tag it #alittleandalot on Instagram.