How to make plant-based spaghetti alla puttanesca

(Emily Goddard)

Spaghetti alla puttanesca has been raising eyebrows with its name, which translates literally to “spaghetti in the style of a whore”, since its ever so blessed invention in Naples in the mid-20th century.

Could not only veganising the dish but also making it coeliac-friendly cause a similar stir among the purists?

That said, it seems wicked to deprive those following a gluten-free, plant-based diet of this sublimely spicy and salty Italian delight and, with a few tweaks, no one need be left out.

This adapted version is no more difficult to make than the traditional recipe, and if cooked the day before and left in the fridge overnight, the flavours become all the more intense – it’s worth the wait.

Plant-based spaghetti alla puttanesca

Serves 2

160g dried gluten-free, vegan spaghetti (lentil and rice varieties work well)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp chilli oil
1 white onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 red chilli, thinly sliced
10-15 black olives, stoned
2 tbsp capers, brine discarded
15-20 fresh cherry tomatoes
100ml passata
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
2 tbsp pine nuts (optional but a good vegan source of protein and iron)

Heat the oils in a saucepan over a medium heat, and add the onion, garlic and chilli, cook until they begin to soften. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for 5 mins, reducing the heat if things begin to brown too much.

Add the passata, tomato puree and balsamic and turn the heat down low to simmer with a lid on for about 20 mins if you’re in a rush, or for as long as you have (we let it sit there cooking gently for about 1.5 hours, which made for a super rich sauce).

Put the pasta on to boil in salted water, following the pack instructions. Stir through the olives, capers and about half the parsley. Continue cooking until evenly heated, about 5 mins.

If you’re having the sauce the following day, put in the fridge overnight and reheat gently on the hob until piping hot throughout. Minutes before plating up put the pine nuts in a dry frying pan and toast over a medium heat, making sure to toss the pan to brown the kernels evenly.

Transfer the cooked pasta to the sauce pan and combine well to coat each ribbon. Serve topped with the remaining chopped parsley and pine nuts.

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