This easy and delicious Sardine Puttanesca Pasta from Jamie Oliver is a quick, hearty meal bursting with bold flavors. Made with simple ingredients like tomatoes, anchovies, and sardines, it’s a nutritious and satisfying dish. Perfect for a busy weeknight or a casual dinner, it’s full of rich, Mediterranean goodness.
Ingredients Needed
- 1 large red onion
- Olive oil (for frying)
- 5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
- 8 anchovies
- 1 tablespoon tomato purée (tomato paste)
- 2 x 400g (14 oz) tins of plum tomatoes
- 80g (2.8 oz) capers
- 140g (5 oz) pitted Kalamata olives
- 30g (2 tbsp) butter
- ½ tablespoon sugar
- 2 tins (about 160g / 5.6 oz each) of quality sardines in oil or brine
- 500g (1 lb 2 oz) pasta (spaghetti or similar)
- A bunch of fresh parsley
How To Make Sardine Puttanesca Pasta
- Prepare the onion: Finely dice the onion and fry in a heavy-based pan with a good amount of olive oil and a generous pinch of salt until sweet and tender.
- Add garlic, chilli, and anchovies: Once the onion is tender, finely chop it and add it to the pan along with the chilli flakes and anchovies. Cook gently for a few minutes, using a wooden spoon to break up the anchovies until they melt into the oil.
- Cook the tomato purée: Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 1 minute before adding the tinned tomatoes. Rinse the tins with a splash of water and pour this tomatoey water in half. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.
- Add capers and olives: Drain them, rinse them under cold water, and shake dry. Add them to the sauce along with the butter, mixing well. Continue cooking for a few minutes to let the flavors combine.
- Adjust seasoning: Taste the sauce and add salt carefully (since many ingredients are salty). Stir in the sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Add sardines: Drain the sardines, then gently break them up and add to the sauce, mixing carefully without smashing them too much.
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Before draining, reserve a mugful of the pasta cooking water.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Just before draining the pasta, bring the sauce back to a gentle heat. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and incorporate the reserved pasta water bit by bit, tossing until the sauce is well mixed with the pasta.
- Finish and serve: Finish with freshly chopped parsley and a drizzle of high-quality olive oil. Serve immediately.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overcook the anchovies: Let the anchovies melt into the oil but avoid cooking them too long—just a few minutes is enough to infuse the flavor.
- Season the pasta water well: Make sure the water for your pasta is generously salted. It helps the pasta cook properly and adds flavor.
- Taste before adding salt: Many ingredients like olives, capers, and anchovies are salty, so taste the sauce first and adjust the salt carefully.
- Save pasta water: Always reserve a mugful of pasta cooking water before draining. It helps thicken the sauce and makes it stick better to the pasta.
How To Store And Reheat Leftovers?
- Refrigerate: Let any leftovers cool to room temperature, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Reheat: Reheat the pasta in a pan over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes, adding a splash of water or olive oil to loosen the sauce and stirring occasionally until heated through.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 263g)
- Calories: 674
- Total Fat: 36g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Total Carbohydrate: 63g
- Dietary Fiber: 4g
- Sugars: 2g
- Protein: 25g
Try More Jamie Oliver Recipes:
- Jamie Oliver Seasonal Greens Ravioli Pasta
- Jamie Oliver Chicken Pesto Pasta Recipe
- Jamie Oliver Speedy Salsa Pasta
- Jamie Oliver Chestnut Carbonara Pasta
Jamie Oliver Sardine Puttanesca Pasta
Description
This easy and delicious Sardine Puttanesca Pasta from Jamie Oliver is a quick, hearty meal bursting with bold flavors. Made with simple ingredients like tomatoes, anchovies, and sardines, it’s a nutritious and satisfying dish. Perfect for a busy weeknight or a casual dinner, it’s full of rich, Mediterranean goodness.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prepare the onion: Finely dice the onion and fry in a heavy-based pan with a good amount of olive oil and a generous pinch of salt until sweet and tender.
- Add garlic, chilli, and anchovies: Once the onion is tender, finely chop it and add it to the pan along with the chilli flakes and anchovies. Cook gently for a few minutes, using a wooden spoon to break up the anchovies until they melt into the oil.
- Cook the tomato purée: Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 1 minute before adding the tinned tomatoes. Rinse the tins with a splash of water and pour this tomatoey water in half. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.
- Add capers and olives: Drain them, rinse them under cold water, and shake dry. Add them to the sauce along with the butter, mixing well. Continue cooking for a few minutes to let the flavors combine.
- Adjust seasoning: Taste the sauce and add salt carefully (since many ingredients are salty). Stir in the sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Add sardines: Drain the sardines, then gently break them up and add to the sauce, mixing carefully without smashing them too much.
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Before draining, reserve a mugful of the pasta cooking water.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Just before draining the pasta, bring the sauce back to a gentle heat. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and incorporate the reserved pasta water bit by bit, tossing until the sauce is well mixed with the pasta.
- Finish and serve: Finish with freshly chopped parsley and a drizzle of high-quality olive oil. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Don’t overcook the anchovies: Let the anchovies melt into the oil but avoid cooking them too long—just a few minutes is enough to infuse the flavor.
- Season the pasta water well: Make sure the water for your pasta is generously salted. It helps the pasta cook properly and adds flavor.
- Taste before adding salt: Many ingredients like olives, capers, and anchovies are salty, so taste the sauce first and adjust the salt carefully.
- Save pasta water: Always reserve a mugful of pasta cooking water before draining. It helps thicken the sauce and makes it stick better to the pasta.
Jamie Oliver Sardine Puttanesca Pasta