Pasta all Puttanesca Bianca

To make a white puttanesca sauce, omit the tomatoes.  Instead use white wine, pasta water, and if you prefer, light cream and egg.  The sauce is briny and pungent and is flavored with capers, olives, garlic, red pepper flakes and if you like, anchovies.  It’s quick to make and something different, more interesting than

Aglio e Olio.

It will please your family and friends at your holiday dinner table.

Ingredients:  Serves 6

·      1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

·      2 cloves garlic, chopped

·      6 anchovy fillets, chopped (only if you desire)

·      Salt to taste

·      Pinch of red pepper flakes

·      1 tbsp. of capers

·      12 oil-cured olives, pitted, sliced in half

·      Handful of fresh oregano or Italian parsley

·      ¼ cup of white wine

·      ½ cup of pasta water

·      1 lb. of pasta (I used fresh Mafalda)

Directions:

1.   Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook over high heat until al dente

2.   Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic, anchovies, salt and pepper. Cook until garlic starts to soften without getting brown.

3.   Add capers and olives and oregano.  Continue cooking until garlic is golden

4.   Add white wine and stir

5.   Drain pasta, add to skillet with the sauce and stir vigorously until well combined and the pasta is coated.

6.   Add pasta water as needed.

7.    If you like it creamier, you can add one egg and/or some light cream and stir well.

Garnish with fresh oregano or Italian parsley.

·   ½ with white puttanesca recipe