I just love this sauce. It’s simple. It has immense flavor. It has heat. AND! it has olives and capers. Another bonus? I can make it fairly quickly. This sauce is delicious with Valicenti Organico’s pasta.
I’ve had the pleasure of chatting with Michelle Valicenti at the Newburyport Farmer’s Market on Sundays. She and her husband have been making gourmet pastas, red gravy, and pestos in their Hollis, NH Farm Kitchen since 2008. Pastry Chef Michelle and Chef David use locally sourced or home grown ingredients in all their pastas and sauces. They sell to local restaurants and to the home cook. I stock up at the Copley Farmer’s Market in the Back Bay and the Newburyport Farmer’s Market whenever I can. Last week, I walked up to her table and saw that my favorite gluten-free pasta was sold out! She saw and heard how disappointed my husband and I were. Michelle simply smiled back at me and took out her notepad and wrote down an order for me. Crisis averted – I’ll have three containers waiting for me on Sunday. Fresh pasta is always best, but their pastas freeze really well. I couldn’t tell the difference in texture between when I cooked the pasta fresh from the market and when I pulled my golden stash out of the freezer.
Valicenti Organics are at many local farmer’s markets. Click HERE for a list.
Spicy Puttanesca Sauce
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 4T EVOO
- 4-6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1t dried red pepper flakes (or more if you like it really HOT)
- 1 – 24oz jar of crushed tomatoes or strained tomatoes
- 1/2 C pitted Kalamata olives, rough chopped (or other black Greek olives, NOT canned)
- 1 fresh tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
- 1 small red onion, minced
- 2T drained capers
- 1T each fresh oregano and basil, chopped
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1 package of fresh pasta
Directions:
In a large skillet, add the EVOO and heat until fragrant. Turn down the heat to medium low and add the garlic, red onion, red pepper flakes, olives, and capers. Sauté until the garlic and onions are translucent and soft. Do not overheat or you can accidentally burn the garlic and it will become bitter. Add the chopped fresh tomato and the jar of crushed tomatoes. Season to taste. The sauce will taste best if it is allowed to simmer for at least 30 minutes, covered. It will be even better the following day.
Serve over your favorite al denté pasta. Hopefully, it will be Valicenti Organico.
Family, Friends, Farms and Food 