Puttanesca Pasta with Shrimp

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Puttanesca Pasta with Shrimp is a hearty aromatic dish made with pantry staples. Loaded with flavor thanks to capers, olives, tomatoes and anchovies.

If you find yourself short on time but also craving a bold, flavor packed pasta, you have got to make this Puttanesca Pasta with Shrimp ASAP. It is chock-full of all kinds of goodies like tomatoes, briny olives & capers, anchovies, onions, garlic and sweet shrimp.

Like I said, this pasta is a flavor power-house. And best of all it comes together quickly so you can have this meal on the table in 30 minutes. That makes it a great meal to make for busy weeknights.

First, some of you may be asking “what is puttanesca pasta?”. It is a classic Italian dish with a storied history. Translated into Italian it actually means “In the style of the prostitute”. It is believed it was developed in brothels around WWII. Basically the cooks would use whatever they had on hand and it was a no-frills, easy dish to just “throw together”. To learn more about the history of Puttanesca sauce check out “Pasta Puttanesca: What’s with the Name?”by Italy Magazine.

I’m certainly glad they did because, man, Puttanesca pasta is sooooo good, guys.

Let’s talk about the ingredients that you’ll need.

Ingredients in Puttanesca Pasta:

• OLIVE OIL: To saute the onions, anchovies and crushed red pepper. You can use extra virgin or regular olive oil.
• GRAPE TOMATOES/CANNED DICED TOMATOES: This is a tomato based dish and you’ll be using both fresh grape tomatoes and canned diced tomatoes. No need to drain the canned tomatoes, the juice in the can adds to the sauce.
• ONIONS
• GARLIC
• CRUSHED RED PEPPER: This adds a bit of heat. Start with 1/4 teaspoon and then work your way up if you’d like more heat.
• ANCHOVIES: Of all the ingredients, this might give people the most pause. Trust me, you need the anchovies in this dish for the depth of flavor. They will dissolve in the sauce and won’t make it taste overly “fishy”.

• KALAMATA OLIVES: Kalamata olives are less bitter than black olives and have a fruity aftertaste. If you don’t have them on hand, you can substitute black olives.
• CAPERS: You guys, I adore capers! They are actually the buds of a flower and have a salty briny taste.
• SHRIMP: If you’re not sure how to prep your shrimp for pasta, be sure to check out my step by step guide for how to peel and devein shrimp .
• SPAGHETTI: Spaghetti is the traditional pasta served with puttanesca sauce. With that said, you can use any long pasta that you have on hand. If you use angel hair, use half a pound instead of a full pound.

STEP BY STEP PHOTOS AND INSTRUCTIONS:

Follow along with these step by step photos and instructions showing you just how easy it is to make this Pasta Puttanesca!

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STEP #1: Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.

STEP #2: Make your sauce while the pasta is cooking. Do this by sauteing the onions, anchovies and crushed red pepper first. Then add the grape tomatoes and garlic. Finally adding the diced tomatoes, olives and capers.

STEP #3: Once the sauce has simmered, ddd the shrimp to the sauce and let cook.

STEP #4: Place pasta on a serving dish and top with puttanesca sauce. Alternatively, you can toss the pasta with the sauce.

Isn’t this just the prettiest pasta dish? I love that it comes together quickly enough to be a weeknight meal but it’s also just pretty enough that it is perfect to serve on special occasions. Be sure to serve this with some of my The BEST (and Easiest!) Garlic Bread to soak up all of that leftover sauce!

Storing Leftovers:

Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. While the sauce and pasta reheats pretty well, the shrimp do tend to get a little tough once reheated.

FAQ:

Looking for more shrimp recipes? Here are some of my most popular.

• Taco Tuesdays are better with Shrimp Tacos. Especially if they are topped with cilantro lime sour cream!
• This Shrimp Sandwich with Spicy Avocado Sauce is just begging to be your next lunch!
• Popcorn Shrimp is a classic! My kiddos love it!