Spring Pasta Puttanesca

Spring Puttanesca Pasta

5.0

(3)

3 Reviews

This lively pasta adds a seasonal twist on classic puttanesca, featuring fresh chiles, spring onions, green olives, and arugula.

Justin Chapple

Published on April 25, 2023

Spring Green Puttanesca — Photo:
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

Total Time:

30 mins

Servings:

4 servings

Justin Chapple adds a fresh, seasonal twist to traditional puttanesca pasta sauce without sacrificing its characteristic fragrant aroma and powerful flavors in this recipe. Classic puttanesca sauce is typically known for its punchy combination of salty anchovies and capers with acidic tomatoes. Here, Chapple takes it up several notches by incorporating vegetables like arugula, parsley, fresh spring onions, spicy Calabrian chiles and olives to create an exceptionally vibrant dish. If you can't find spring onions with their small, sweet, mellow bulbs and intensely onion-y green tops, don’t worry: two shallots and two scallions make a great substitute. The signature flavors of the anchovies are still very present and melt into the hot oil, providing a deep flavor that balances against the freshness of the seasonal vegetables. Calabrian chiles add just the right amount of heat, while green olives bring a briny and slightly buttery flavor to round it all out.

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Ingredients

1 pound uncooked linguine
2 medium spring onions
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 (2-ounce) can flat anchovy fillets in oil, drained
1/4 cup capers, drained
1 tablespoon finely chopped jarred Calabrian chiles (such as Divina)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup Castelvetrano olives, pitted and coarsely crushed
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups loosely packed baby arugula
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions

Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil over high. Add linguine; cook, stirring occasionally, until 2 minutes short of al dente. (Pasta will finish cooking in sauce.) Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.
While pasta cooks, thinly slice spring onions, separating bulbs from greens. Heat olive oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium. Add spring onion bulbs, garlic, anchovies, capers, and chiles. Cook, stirring often, until spring onion bulbs are softened and anchovies are dissolved, about 5 minutes. Add wine, and cook, stirring often, until almost evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in olives and spring onion greens; cook, stirring often, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with black pepper.
Add cooked pasta and reserved cooking liquid to skillet. Bring to a simmer over medium-high; cook, tossing vigorously, until pasta is al dente and coated in a light sauce, about 3 minutes. Fold in arugula and parsley. Divide evenly among 4 bowls, and serve immediately.