Sunday Feast № 38 | You saucy tart, Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

Spaghetti alla puttanesca means "spaghetti in the style of a prostitute", and is not a very old dish after all, but considering the taste profile, it has a fitting name. Saucy, briny, with a hint of spicy heat, with a color selection of red and black that imitates just right, say, Carmen's garb (Spanish, I know, but you get the reference), while taking care of you just the way you needed. I was so fixated on getting the visual right that the Kalamata olives I already had just would not do. They were not black enough. The recipe is adapted from "The Food of Italy: A Journey for Food Lovers" - I used fresh cherry tomatoes instead of canned ones, and dried oregano although I could've used 1 tbsp fresh oregano. Let's play.

4 tbsp olive oil 1 small onion finely chopped 2 garlic cloves finely sliced 1 small red chili cored seeded and sliced 6 anchovy fillets finely chopped 18 oz/500 g fresh cherry tomatoes halved and quartered ¼ tsp dried oregano 3½ oz/100 g pitted black olives halved 1 tbsp capers, chopped if large salt and pepper to taste spaghetti

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the onion, garlic, and chili. Fry gently for ~6 min or until onion is soft. Add the anchovies and cook stirring until well mixed. Add the tomatoes, oregano, olives, and capers, stir and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, season and leave to simmer. Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and toss well with the sauce and serve at once.