Nigella's Slut Spaghetti

Nigella Lawson pretty much covered the ground on the hazy origins of this simple yet flavorful pasta dish. As the word "puttanesca" suggests, it may or may not be a dish invented by ancient Italian prostitutes. If the legend is to be believed, it was something the ladies of the night whipped up to eat in between entertaining their customers--it was fast and filling //pun intended//.

On the other hand, it was probably called ''puttanesca'' because of the bold flavors of the sauce, or that every component came from cans and bottles that you could be the sort of slob who never step foot in a fresh food market but still whip up a proper pasta dish. Either way, it's never a bad thing to sluttify your spaghetti.

Pasta a la Puttanesca

Ingredients

8 pcs of anchovies

1 tsp crushed chilies

6 cloves of garlic, grated
1 medium-sized white onion, finely chopped
12 pitted black olives, sliced
1 tsp capers, washed and drained
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp Italian spices
chopped parsley for garnish
3 tbsp olive oil
400 ml crushed tomatoes in tomato sauce (Molinera or Capri or any brand of choice)
300 g angel hair or spaghetti noodles, cooked according to package instructions

Directions 

1. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan or wok, then saute the anchovies and crush to small bits with your spatule or wooden spoon. Add the crushed chilies and cook them together.

2. Add the finely chopped onions and grated garlic and cook until the onions become translucent. When the onions change color, add the olives and capers. Season with salt, pepper and 1/2 tsp Italian spices.

3. After about a minute of sauteing the ingredients together, pour in the crushed tomatoes and stir together until the sauce covers the ingredients. Fill half of the can with water and stir the whatever's left in the can with the it. Pour the water into the sauce then stir. Season with 1/2 tsp sugar, salt, pepper and Italian spices. Simmer under medium-low heat for 5 minutes.

4. Remove the lid after 5 minutes and stir the sauce. Add about 2 tsp of grated parmesan cheese if desired. Taste the sauce and season with more spices if to adjust to your preferences. Add the cooked pasta into the sauce and carefully toss around with a pair of tongs until the noodles are well-coated with the sauce.

5. Serve on a platter, sprinkle grated parmesan and chopped parsely on top, and then enjoy~