Angel Hair with Puttanesca

There’s something about a good pasta sauce that doesn’t try too hard. Puttanesca is that kind of sauce. It’s simple, bold, a little salty, a little spicy, and totally unfussy. It also happens to be one of my all-time favorite pantry pastas—and not just because it tastes great, but because the recipe comes from my mom.

Now, my mom’s not Italian. But she’s always been a great cook, and somewhere along the way this puttanesca recipe became part of her rotation. She’d make it on weeknights when we wanted something comforting but didn’t want to fuss over a long list of ingredients. It’s one of those meals that feels low-effort but delivers big flavor, and I’ve carried it into my own kitchen for that exact reason.

What I love most about this dish is that it’s built on ingredients you probably already have, or should have, in your pantry. Olive oil, anchovies, kalamata olives, capers, a can of tomatoes, and crushed red pepper. That’s it. No onion, no garlic, no extra steps. And it works every single time.

It’s also a great way to use up those anchovies lingering in the fridge. You don’t need many, and they melt right into the olive oil, giving the sauce that deep, savory base. From there, the briny olives and capers add punch, the tomatoes give it body, and the crushed red pepper brings the heat. You can keep it mild or go heavy with the spice—it’s totally up to you. That kind of flexibility makes it great for feeding a crowd or dialing it in to your own preferences.

When I make this now, I always think of how deceptively simple it is. There’s no slow simmer, no layering of flavors over hours. You build it quickly in a pan, toss it with pasta, and dinner’s on the table. And the best part? It tastes like something way more complicated.

So if you’ve got anchovies, a can of tomatoes, and a craving for something salty, spicy, and satisfying—this puttanesca is it. It’s my mom’s recipe, and it’s never let me down.