Linguini alla Puttanesca

Last Year's Post:Chocolate Turnovers

Whoa.  This recipe probably should be rated "R" for Adult Content. It may look innocent but it's not.  Puttanesca (poo-tah-nes-kah) actually comes from the Italian word for harlot, if that tells you anything. If you're one of those people who thinks ketchup is a spice you probably should stop right here and check out last year's post instead at the link above this paragraph (chocolate turnovers, yum).  But if you like big, bold flavors and a little spice in your life, this one's for you.  This dish makes you sit up straight and pay attention - just the thing to shake you out of the mid-winter doldrums.

The big, bold flavors come from garlic, olives, capers and anchovy paste.  Anchovy paste?  Yup.  Don't be afraid, the sauce doesn't taste fishy but the anchovies add a pungent note.  No one will even know they are there.  Still, opening a can of oily little fish can be relatively disgusting so anchovy paste is a much better solution.  You'll find it next to the canned anchovies in the grocery aisle.

You will smell anchovies when you first put the paste into the pan, but don't panic.  The smell goes away as soon as you put the tomatoes in 30 seconds later.  Just don't let any timid family members into the kitchen during that phase.

The spiciness in the recipe comes from crushed red pepper flakes.  1/4 teaspoon might not seem like much, but all I can tell you is that my lips were tingling for five minutes after I was done eating (The Lawyer was measuring things at this point while I was still chopping, and I suspect his 1/4 teaspoon was on the heaping side).  It's not hot enough to make you sweat - if you're one of those strange people who actually like to sweat while you eat you could always add more red pepper.  But I usually like to make a recipe according to the directions before I start messing with it.  My perception of how hot something is will not be the same as yours.  One last thought about chopping - there's a fair amount involved in this recipe so if you're making it by yourself I suggest doing the prep work before you actually start cooking.  It'll make things simpler.

A few teaspoons of sun-dried tomatoes add depth of flavor to the sauce in addition to turning it a darker, more beautiful red.

When you add the olives, capers and herbs the sauce gets even prettier.

This is a meatless meal, but you'll never miss the meat.  I like to go meatless for dinner once or twice per week, especially if I had some sort of meat at lunch. The trick is to make the flavors interesting enough that you don't miss the protein.  Trust me that this meal fits the bill.  Serve it with fresh crusty bread and a glass of wine, and you're good to go.

click here for a printable recipe

Linguini alla Puttanesca

serves 6-8

1 lb dry linguini

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic

1 teaspoon anchovy paste

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes with juice

2 tablespoons oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, minced

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

¼ cup pitted Kalamata olives, slivered

3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons capers, drained

¼ teaspoon salt

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

For the pasta, bring a large pot of water (salted if you prefer) to a boil over high heat. 

Meanwhile, heat a large sauté pan over medium heat.  Add the olive oil, garlic, anchovy paste and red pepper flakes.  Stir, cooking for 30 seconds.  Add the tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, brown sugar, and vinegar; stir to combine.  Simmer sauce until slightly reduced, 10-15 minutes.  

Meanwhile, add linguini to the boiling water and stir.  Cook pasta as directed on the package.  Before draining, remove ¼ cup cooking liquid to thin the sauce if it looks too thick.

Finish the sauce by stirring in the olives, herbs, capers and salt.  Thin with pasta water if the sauce seems too thick.  Transfer the sauce and pasta to a large bowl and toss until the pasta is evenly coated with sauce.

Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Swordfish en Papillote

Cooking something "en papillote" (pronounced en pa-pee-oh) is French for cooking it "in parchment" - basically cooking in a paper pouch to seal in moisture.  If you happen to be Italian, you would call it "al cartoccio".  Not only is it a great cooking method for delicate seafood or poultry because the food remains nice and moist, it's also high drama for dinner guests.  You serve the sealed pouches at the table so each guest can tear theirs open and breath the wonderful aromas.  People react as though they're opening a present - it's really fun.

When I was a kid in Girl Scouts we wrapped potaotes, onions and hamburgers in aluminum foil and grilled them over a campfire.  Basically it's the same thing although we called them hobo packets.  OK, probably some of you that know me well are scratching your heads at the thought of me as a Girl Scout.  Technically, I was a Brownie and didn't last long enough to be a Girl Scout.  I disliked selling cookies to strangers and thought the brown uniform was too ugly for words.  The green Girl Scout uniform is the second ugliest outfit in the world.  Why did someone think they should dress girls in tree colors?

Sorry, back to recipes.  This one features tender, moist swordfish and linguine in a very flavorful Mediterranean sauce that includes tomatoes, capers, roasted red peppers, and black olives.  The taste is as spectacular as the colorful presentation.

wax paper version

You can use either parchment paper or wax paper for your pouches - parchment paper is more traditional but wax paper shows off the beautiful colors.

parchment version

The only trick is how to cut and wrap the paper to ensure it looks pretty and stays sealed.  I'll show you step by step in the recipe below.

If you don't like swordfish you could try this with any fish you like, or with chicken breasts. As I said, the beauty is that the fish or meat is fully cooked but still very moist because it basically steams in the pouch.  The sauce recipe makes more than you'll need so you can have the leftovers on pasta later that week with a little parmesan sprinkled on top.  Yum.

* * click here for a printable recipe copy * *

Swordfish en Papillote
Serves 4

Note: this recipe makes about 1 quart of sauce. You will have leftover sauce that can be used to top pasta or chicken for another meal.

1 28 ounce can of whole plum tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon minced garlic
¼ cup minced red onion
2 tablespoons of rinsed and drained capers
½ cup roasted red bell peppers, coarsely chopped
12 pitted and sliced kalamata olives
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
½ lb dried linguini
4 large sheets of parchment paper or waxed paper or brown paper lunch bags
4 (5-6 oz) swordfish steaks

Drain the tomatoes and slice thinly lengthwise. Place in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add oregano, parsley, garlic, onion, capers, peppers, olives, lemon juice, pepper flakes, and 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Stire gently to mix and set aside at least one hour for flavors to blend.

Preheat oven to 450d.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook linguini until al dente. Drain and toss with remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Reserve.

Trim the skin off the swordfish steaks and trim away any dark red areas. Salt and pepper on both sides.

Fold each sheet of parchment or waxed paper in half. Place the fold on the bottom edge. Starting at the right side, cut a large semi-circle with the fold as the spine and one end more pointed then the other.

Open the paper and place a small pile of linguini on one side, close to the fold. Top with a spoonful of tomato sauce to moisten the linguini. Lay a piece of swordfish on top and add another spoon of sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

Fold the other half of the paper over the fish. Starting at the flatter end of the semicircle (not the pointy end), fold 1-2 inches of the edge inwards. Work your way around the circle making a series of tight, overlapping folds to enclose the fish. When you reach the pointy edge, fold the last pleat several times and wrap it under the pouch.

(Alternately, place a small square of parchment or waxed paper on the bottom of four paper lunch bags, add the ingredients as described, and fold over the tops of the bags.)

wax paper version

parchment paper version

Place all bags or pouches on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. To serve, transfer the bags to 4 dinner plates and let each diner cut open the package to enjoy the aromas.