Puttanesea Pasta with Beans
"Puttana" is Italian for a woman practicing the world's oldest
profession, and "puttanesca" is a style of quick-cooked pasta
sauce-created by these ladies who need to be standing somewhere besides
in front of the stove. The classic version has anchovies and olives,
which replace slow-cooking with earthy flavors. This version odds a can
of cannellini, the white kidney beans so favored by the Tuscans.
Anchovies are optional here, but the flavor adds depth to the sauce.
It's a hearty, filling dish, halfway between the cooking of a puttana
and some upright Italian mama, and the beans and pasta make a perfect
protein. I'll bet those working girls would have had more energy to
cook if they'd put beans in their sauce.
Serves 4 to 6
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1 pound short tubular pasta shapes, such
as rigatoni, penne, or even small shells
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1/2 cup black olives (preferably from a
deli or gourmet shop, not canned)
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One 16-ounce can cannellini beans
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2 tablespoons olive oil
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4 to 5 cloves garlic
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1 teaspoon red chili flakes
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One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (try
Italian plum)
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4 whole anchovies, or 2 teaspoons anchovy
paste (optional)
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1 teaspoon dried oregano
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Cook the pasta in a large quantity of
boiling salted water. Meanwhile, pit and roughly chop the olives; drain
the beans.
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In a large skillet, heat the olive oil
over medium heat and push the garlic through a press directly into the
oil. Add the chili flakes (don't breathe in over the hot pan as you
do!), and stir for less than a minute until the garlic smells pungent.
-
Add the tomatoes and their juice,
breaking them up with the back of a spoon. Stir in the anchovies or
anchovy paste if using, the oregano, and the olives. Add the drained
beans.
-
Bring it to a boil and bubble it hard for
about 5 minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened. Taste and add
salt.
-
Scoop some of the pasta cooking water
into a cup and reserve. Drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the skillet
(or pour the sauce into the pasta pan if your skillet isn't big
enough). If it looks a little dry, stir in some of the pasta cooking
water. Toss well and serve.
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