Are you looking for another simple pasta recipe? Do you ever have days where you’ve worked the whole day and you just want to a fast and easy home cooked meal? Ordering out can put a dent in your finances, especially if you’re trying to budget your money. Plus, if you’re trying to eat healthy, take out isn’t always the best option either. Fortunately, our pasta puttanesca recipe might be exactly what you’re looking for.
This is also a great vegetarian meal, or an option if you’re just cutting down on meat (meat can be quite expensive nowadays). Even better, if you aren’t a fan of anchovies – this recipe is anchovy-free!
This recipe is quick – it only takes about 30 minutes and you’ll have dinner on the table in no time.
Prep Time 10 Minutes
Cooking Time 20 Minutes
Ready to Eat in 30 Minutes
Serves 4 to 6 plates
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 to 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tablespoons pitted black olives, chopped
- 1 teaspoon capers
- 2 cups of canned tomato sauce, plain or crushed
- 3 good-sized tomatoes, chopped, peeled
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 500 grams pasta noodles, cooked according to package directions
- fresh basil leaves, for garnishing
Procedure
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a saucepan, heat olive oil then add garlic. Sauté for a couple of minutes.
3. Add chopped black olives capers. Season with salt and pepper. Pour tomato sauce and the chopped, peeled tomatoes.
4. Cook until sauce is thick. Add cooked pasta and mix well.
5. Make a large envelope out of aluminum foil. Set it in a baking pan and put pasta inside. Tear a few basil leaves and place them inside the envelope with the pasta. Seal by pinching foil ends together.
6. In a preheated 400 degree F oven, bake for a few minutes or until heated through. Tear open the foil and serve.
Money Tips
There is no specific type of pasta noodle that you need to have on hand for this recipe. Use whatever pasta you have available in your pantry. Got leftovers? Instead of buying food for lunch, you can just put this in a sealed container, take it to work, and reheat it in the microwave at lunchtime. It also makes great dinner leftovers.
Maria Emilce Rodriguez, or Em, as her friends and colleagues know her, has been a Staff Blogger/ Media Communications Specialist with District Media Finance Inc. since 2014. She never knew how to cook growing up, however, when she reached her 20s she developed a passion focusing on baking and even took short courses offered at Chocolate Lover Inc. She also used to sell her baked goods and bring in the food she cooked for her co-workers at her former corporate job. Nowadays, during her free time, she still hones her cooking and baking skills, testing out new recipes for her friends and family members to try.
