Slutty Spaghetti
This was the first dish I ever cooked for my partner. Yes, as the title suggests I thought I was being very clever. Little did I know, my partner hates anchovy and I was to find this out several months after the fact.
This particular pasta sauce is known in Italian as “puttanesca”, and translates as “in the style of the whore”. These Italian whores must be pretty classy. All the Aussie whores I know (and I know plenty) wouldn’t know what their kitchen looked like, let alone the inside of a food store. Lets just say, cooking food is not a priority in their lives…..
Anyway, I must have done something right the night I cooked this for my beloved, because he is still here, by my side. And I would also like to mention that he doesn’t mind anchovies every now and then. Well actually, I just disguise them. Out of sight, out of mind.
Ingredients
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
16 marinated anchovy fillets
4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (from the marinated anchovy)
1 dried red chili
400g tin Italian tomatoes, chopped and mashed with a fork
1 tsp dried greek oregano
1 tbsp herb infused red wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
12 black olives, cut into slithers
1 tbsp salted capers, rinsed of their preserving salt
Freshly chopped parsley
Method
Place the garlic, oil, and anchovy into a saucepan.and, over a low heat, cook for about 10 minutes until the anchovy has melted into a paste and emulsified into the oil. Do not allow the garlic to brown.
Add the chili and oregano and fry for a few seconds.
Add the tomatoes, red wine vinegar, and sugar. Cook over a low heat, until well reduced (about 15 minutes).
Finish with the olives and capers.
The flavours of this sauce are strong, almost aggressive (like a street whore, I guess).
Toss through 200g of freshly boiled al dente spaghetti. You may need to add a few drops of extra virgin olive oil, to help lubricate the pasta.
Lots of fresh parsley added at the last minute will lift the flavour. And please, no cheese with this dish-it doesn’t work.
Serves 2 (food) sluts.
Note- I have stipulated my marinated anchovy in the list of ingredients. However plain anchovy in oil are fine to use in this sauce.



