Jamie Oliver’s 30 Minute Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca Recipe
If you are searching for a quick, pantry-friendly dinner that does not sacrifice bold, complex flavors, Jamie Oliver’s Spaghetti alla Puttanesca from his 30 Minute Meals collection is an absolutely brilliant choice. This classic Italian pasta dish relies heavily on robust, salty staples like anchovies, briny capers, and pitted black olives, creating a deeply savory, aromatic sauce that perfectly coats every strand of pasta. Even if you are normally hesitant about cooking with preserved seafood, the anchovies melt completely into the hot oil to provide a rich, earthy umami base without leaving an overwhelming fishy taste behind.
To round out the feast, this recipe includes a genius, entirely butter-free ciabatta garlic bread and a decadently smooth dark chocolate ganache for dessert. Designed for efficiency, this multi-component menu allows you to bring a vibrant, restaurant-quality meal to your dining table from start to finish in less than 40 minutes.
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Jamie Oliver’s 30 Minute Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca Recipe
Course: Main CourseCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Medium5
servings10
minutes35
minutes652
kcalIngredients
Puttanesca
500g dried spaghetti
1 small tin of tuna in olive oil (around 150-200g)
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp capers, drained
1 small tin of anchovies in olive oil (approx 30g)
1-2 fresh red chillis
1 handful of fresh parsley
1 handful of pitted black olives
2 tins of chopped tomatoes (800g)
A pinch of ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper
1 lemon
Garlic Bread
1 ciabatta loaf
Small handful of fresh parsley
Salt and pepper
2-4 cloves of garlic (to taste)
Extra virgin olive oil
Ganache
200g dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
Knob of butter
300ml single cream
3 clementines
A pinch of salt
Biscuits for dipping
Directions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) and fill and boil the kettle. Place a large frying pan on a low heat and fill a saucepan with the boiled water and a pinch of salt.
- Garlic Ciabatta: Slice 1 ciabatta loaf three-quarters deep, making cuts at 2cm intervals. Finely chop a small handful of fresh parsley. Scrunch up a large piece of greaseproof paper, dampen it under a tap, open it up on a flat surface, and oil it. Place the bread on top. Sprinkle the parsley over the top with a pinch of salt and pepper, then pour over a generous drizzle of olive oil. Crush 2-4 garlic cloves on top and smear the mixture over the bread, ensuring it gets inside all the incisions. Wrap the bread up in the greaseproof paper and put it into the oven to cook for around 20 minutes.
- Chocolate Ganache (Part 1): Place a large heatproof bowl on top of the saucepan with the boiling water (making sure the water doesn’t touch the bowl). Break up 200g of dark chocolate and place it in the bowl, along with a knob of butter, 300ml of single cream, a pinch of salt, and the grated zest from 1 clementine. Give everything a good stir and leave it to melt.
- Spaghetti (Part 1): Put 500g of spaghetti into the saucepan and cook it according to the packet instructions. Pour the oil from the tin of tuna into the frying pan, then crush 2 cloves of garlic. Add it to the frying pan along with 1 tablespoon of capers, the anchovies, and their oil (don’t be alarmed if it looks like a lot of oil).
- Build the Sauce: Chop 1-2 red chillis (seeds optional) and the stalks from the parsley, then add them to the frying pan. Chop the parsley leaves and put them to one side. Once the garlic gets a little colour, add the tuna (breaking it up a little), the pitted black olives, 2 tins of tomatoes, a pinch of cinnamon, and black pepper.
- Chocolate Ganache (Part 2): The chocolate should be melted. Remove it from the heat and stir well. Decant the mixture into small pots or espresso cups. Halve the remaining clementines and put them on a board with the biscuits and ganache.
- Spaghetti (Part 2): Once the pasta has cooked, drain it and reserve some of the water. Add the pasta to the frying pan sauce, squeeze over the juice from 1 lemon, and add most of the chopped parsley leaves, mixing well. If the sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water. Pour into a large bowl and garnish with the remaining parsley.
- Serve: Remove the garlic bread from the oven and take it to the table with the spaghetti. Enjoy with a bottle of red wine!
Notes
- Pantry Friendly: Jamie Oliver’s original version uses fresh parsley, chilli, and lemon, but if you don’t have them on hand, the dish still tastes great relying solely on the canned and dried cupboard staples.
- Anchovy Substitutions: The anchovies melt down into an umami flavor without tasting distinctly like fish. However, if you are strictly opposed to them or making a vegetarian version, omit the anchovies and tuna, and add an extra tablespoon of capers for that needed briny bite.
- Pasta Type: This robust sauce works beautifully with standard white spaghetti, but stands up incredibly well to wholewheat spaghetti if you prefer a nuttier, higher-fiber option.
