Lazy Girl Penne Puttanesca

This is such an easy recipe for such a delicious dish, you’ll be applauding your inner-lazy girl as soon as you make it. And make it, quick.

I was feeling especially blah on a blustery SF weekday recently, and really craving some hot Italian food. Pasta Puttanesca is one of my favorites to order out because I always assumed it was really hard to make. Not so! In fact, it is one of the easiest dishes a lazy home cook could hope for. Why? Well, everything basically comes out of a can, but enough simmering (i.e. time while you sit on your butt and drink wine) gives it that homemade flavor we all strive for.

So I ran out to the store for some Southern Italian wine, put on Buena Vista Social Club, tied on my apron, and made actually better Penne Puttanesca than I usually order. Oh and cheaper, far cheaper.

Not counting the spices and olive oil, there’s only 5 ingredients in this dish, 3 are canned, and 1 is the pasta in a box. You could even use already-diced garlic to make this even lazier, but seriously, use fresh garlic.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Olive oil
3 cloves fresh garlic, diced
1 28 oz. can fire roasted crushed tomatoes (Muir Glenn)
3 heaping tablespoons canned non-pareil capers, drained
1/3 cup canned kalamata olives, pitted and halved
Oregano
Red pepper flakes
S&P to taste
1 box penne pasta, cooked

Instructions:

Heat olive oil over medium heat. Throw in garlic and cook until aromatic (about 3 minutes). Add the spices and cook one minute more. Toss in the tomatoes, including liquid, and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer as long as you want, stirring occasionally.

When you’re ready to eat, cook the pasta according to package instructions. At the same time add the olives, capers, and any more spices to taste to the tomato sauce and heat until warmed through. Toss sauce with pasta and serve alongside salad and wine.

Speaking of the wine, might I suggest …

http://www.biondivino.com/wine/region/basilicata/73/