Puttanesca sauce with capers and olives

An Italian sauce dish built on whole ingredients.

Servings: 4
Active time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min

Organic sourcing

Tomatoes are important to source organic due to pesticide concerns often highlighted in the Dirty Dozen list. Fresh herbs like parsley are worth buying organic, when possible.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 fillets anchovies, chopped
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 can (400 g) whole tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 1/2 cup pitted black olives, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• to taste sea salt
• to taste black pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Stir in the chopped anchovies and crushed red pepper flakes, cooking until the anchovies dissolve.
4. Add the crushed tomatoes to the pan and stir well, letting the sauce come to a gentle simmer.
5. Mix in the olives, capers, and oregano, and let the sauce simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.
6. Season the sauce with sea salt and black pepper to taste.
7. Stir in the fresh parsley just before serving.

Notes

• Use kalamata olives for a more intense flavor.
• Serve over spiralized zucchini for a low-carb option.
• Can be made a day ahead; flavors improve with time.

Source

Paraphrased from the culinary canon by Organic.is editors, 2026. Classic Italian recipe. If you'd like a specific source for further reading, ask Tinni (bottom-right) for a book recommendation.