4 hours ago, Tempest63 said:Quick puttanesca for dinner tonight.
we have a lot going on at the moment and find ourselves extremely busy, so this was a great quick and easy dinner.Looking at recipes online there seem to be a number of questions that come up.
Tomatoes or passata?
Fresh tomatoes or tinned?
Onions or no onions?
Salted anchovies or anchovies in vinegar?
Fresh chilli or chilli flakes?
So many questions for such a simple rustic dish.
I've been enjoying puttanesca for many years. It's essentially a dish of convenience. Use what's handy. Each ingredient imparts a certain characteristic, none of which are a poor choice or unacceptable (IMO).
For example, at times I'll add capers and/or olives, and other times not. I've made it with oil packed anchovies, salt packed anchovies, and anchovy paste ... all good. I've used dried Calabrian chilies, fresh Thai chilies, serrano chilies, ground Kashmiri chilies, and Aleppo chili flakes ... all good. Sometimes I'll use pancetta fat instead of or as an addition to olive oil. The fat from pancetta affumicato is an interesting choice, worth playing with. A mixture of fresh cherry tomatoes and tinned whole tomatoes imparts a nice flavor and texture. Don't forget the garlic. I prefer a small amount, and sometimes I'll use fresh and dried roasted garlic together.
Your mom always told you not to play with your food. Puttanesca is a great choice to play with. As you say, it's a simple rustic dish. Don't overthink it, cook with feeling and follow your mood, and the results will always be interesting.
