spaghetti alla puttanesca

15 minute spaghetti alla puttanesca

Recipe from 15 Minute Vegan Comfort Food by Katy Beskow (Quadrille, £15) Photography © Dan Jones.

I first came across this classic Italian dish in Nigella’s Kitchen cookbook. Traditionally, the sauce contains anchovies, however, the olives and capers add all the saltiness it needs to be seasoned and addictive. All the ingredients are found in the storecupboard, making this the ultimate convenient, fast and seductive bowl of pasta.

Serves 1 generously

Suitable for freezing

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

½ tsp dried chilli flakes

½ tsp dried oregano

2 tsp capers, drained of oil or brine

5 black olives, pitted and halved

250g (9oz/1 cup) passata

1 tsp caster (superfine) sugar

100g (3½oz) dried spaghetti (ensure egg free)

sea salt and black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and cook the garlic for 1 minute until softened.

Sprinkle in the chilli flakes and oregano, along with the capers and olives, and allow them to infuse in the oil for a further minute.

Pour in the passata and stir through the sugar to balance the acidity. Loosely cover with a lid and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, cook the spaghetti in boiling water in a separate pan for 9–10 minutes until al dente.

Drain the water from the pan and toss the spaghetti into the sauce until coated. Remove from the heat and season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Serve immediately.