Spaghetti Puttanesca with Jamie Oliver

Sweet Fancy Moses! Jamie Oliver's recipe is a great, easy to prepare interpretation of the classic, Spaghetti Puttanesca. As for where the the recipe originates--and what puttanesca is all about -- here's a link . The name has a rather salty connotation to go along with the salty flavors of the dish....

All of the ingredients for Spaghetti Puttanesca may not be readily on hand in the typical kitchen: capers, anchovy fillets, kalamata olives; however, the other ingredients: spaghetti, canned tomato, garlic, dried oregano, crushed red pepper (my deviation from his call for chile peppers) and fresh basil probably are. And if you need to make a run to the market for anchovies and capers-- it's worth the trip!

Why I like it
This is a dish with very strong, distinct flavors (or flavours for Mr. Oliver). And while it is not a "saucy" pasta, it is full of flavors/flavours that play off of one another. Foils you might say, if this were a drama.  Spaghetti Puttancesca features the sweetness of basil and tomato against the salt of anchovies and the tang of capers (no tang comments please -- particularly if you read the wikipedia link!). The key for this dish to be successful is as with many things -- quality, fresh ingredients. The flavors here are clean and complex, qualities that are often typical of Mr. Oliver's cooking style.

Another reason I like Jamie's recipe is this: it allows for and ENCOURAGES cooks to adjust the flavors of the dish to their taste. He calls for "handfuls" of olives and capers -- talk about subjective measurements! He also asks cooks to adjust the seasoning at the end. I know that I love the salt of the anchovies and the heat of the pepper -- so I adjust for that. You may love the flavor of the olives and tomato above all else, so add more! Have fun with it. In the words of American Idol, "Make it your own." Then, enjoy! 

The Preparation
I made this dish in 20 minutes or less. I recommend prepping the saute ingredients while your pasta is boiling. Start heating your olive oil when the pasta has about 4 minutes left until al dente, then saute away!


For the first time at Cuisine and Culture, I've added video! These videos were taken via my Blackberry, so it is NOT HD quality; I appreciate your patience with my learning curve. (And I was streaming a jazz channel via Pandora on my laptop, so you may hear the music in the background.)
 
It's my attemt to try and keep the blog dynamic folks  -- better technology is on the way as soon as I get my Droid!

Video links:

Sauteeing the Ingredients


The Finishing Touches


Ciao bellas!




Jamie's recipe as copied from www.FoodNetwork.com (also linked above):

Ingredients


1 pound (455 grams) dried spaghetti, the best you can get
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 handful capers, soaked in water and drained
2 handfuls big black olives, pitted
12 anchovy fillets, roughly chopped
3 small dried red chiles, crumbled
1 tablespoon dried oregano
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 (14 ounce/400gram) cans tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 good handful fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Cook the spaghetti in salted, boiling water until al dente. Meanwhile fry the garlic, capers, olives, anchovies, chiles, and oregano in a little olive oil for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes, bring to a simmer, and continue to cook for 4 or 5 minutes, until you have a lovely tomato sauce consistency. Remove from the heat, plunge the drained spaghetti into it, toss it over, and cover with the sauce. Rip all the basil over it, correct the seasoning, and drizzle with good extra-virgin olive oil.