Straight from the Earth

PASTA PUTTANESCA with GREEN and BLACK OLIVES

I love olives in my pasta sauce, so I’ve added two kinds to this puttanesca sauce, making it more original and flavorful. I’ve also added a splash of red wine, which isn’t a traditional ingredient, but I think it should be. This is a wonderful dish any time of year, but during the summer, you can bring the fresh taste of the season to your table by substituting vine-ripe tomatoes for the whole canned ones, and adding a handful of chopped basil right before serving. My family’s preferred pasta for this sauce is usually whole-wheat shells, but we also like rigatoni, penne, and linguine. —MYRA

Serves 4

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

¹/₄ tsp red pepper flakes

One 28-oz/800-g can whole, peeled Roma tomatoes, broken up into pieces, with juices

One 14.5-oz/415-g can crushed or diced tomatoes, with juices

2 tbsp red wine

³/₄ cup/105 g chopped kalamata olives

¹/₂ cup/70 g coarsely chopped green salad olives (without pimientos)

3 tbsp brined capers, drained

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

¹/₂ cup/15 g packed chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 lb/455 g dried pasta, such as whole-wheat shells, rigatoni, or linguine

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until it is soft, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
Add the Roma tomatoes and the crushed tomatoes, with their juices. Reduce the heat to medium-low, stir in the wine, and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

Add the kalamata and green olives and continue to simmer the sauce, uncovered, for an additional 10 minutes. Add the capers and ¹/₂ tsp salt, and season with pepper. Cook for an additional 2 minutes, then stir in the parsley.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 tsp salt and the pasta. Cook according to package directions, until the pasta is al dente. Drain the pasta and transfer it to a large bowl. Add the sauce, tossing to coat. Alternatively, place the pasta on individual plates and top with the sauce. Serve hot.