Making Calories Count: Recipe for Sugo alla Puttanesca

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Added: Wed. Feb 22, 2012 3:20pm
Posted in: Cooking

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My neighbor Richard Scammell is a wonderful cook. Cooking is Richard's hobby, but when it comes to food preparation, Richard is a highly skilled and well-educated professional. (He's even traveled to Europe to take cooking classes.)

Richard and I share a love of creative, healthful cooking. When I asked him for ideas that I could share with readers, he sent this simple recipe for Sugo alla Puttanesca, which is informally referred to as Harlot Sauce. Street walkers in Rome originated this sauce many years ago, probably because it was an easy and quick sauce to make.  

Although the sauce can be served over whole-grain spaghetti, it can also be served with shrimp or meatballs or over your favorite steamed vegetables. Richard points out that the sauce is not served with cheese but simply as is.

Sugo alla Puttanesca (Harlot Sauce)

Serves 6 to 8

1-1/2 pounds ripe, fresh tomatoes, or 2 cans (28 ounces) chopped canned tomatoes
Coarse salt
1/2 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/2 pound pitted kalamata olives (about 1 cup), quartered
6 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup capers
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and black pepper

If using fresh tomatoes, blanch them in boiling, salted water until the skins split. Remove with a slotted spoon. Remove the skins and chop the tomatoes. Pass the fresh or canned tomatoes through a food mill, using the disk with the smallest holes, or run through food processor.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until lightly golden, about 10 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, olives, anchovies, capers, tomato paste and red pepper flakes. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and black papper.

Buon appétito!

P.S. Do you have a recipe to share?