Penne Puttanesca

The following is from the new Seattle Times column, By Request, which
helps readers get recipes for favorite dishes they have enjoyed at
restaurants, and to locate recipes they have heard about or lost. As
a puttanesca connoisseur, I've found that Salvatore Ristorante Italiano
in Seattle makes the *best* puttanesca I've had at any restaurant in the
area. The following has been shared by the owner, Salvatore Anania.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I.
Marinara base:
4 medium cloves garlic, 1/2 - 1 tsp freshly ground
peeled and coarsely chopped black pepper
20 large fresh basil leaves, 1/4 cup cold water
coarsely chopped 16 oz (2 cups) canned crushed
1/2 - 1 tsp salt tomatoes
Puttanesca sauce:
1/2 cup olive oil 1 Tbsp crushed red pepper
8 flat anchovy fillets, rinsed and 1/4 cup capers, rinsed, drained
drained 24 pitted Kalamata olives
3 medium cloves garlic, peeled 16 oz penne pasta (or ziti or
and minced mostaccioli)
2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. To prepare the marinara base: Combine the garlic and basil in a
food processor or blender and chop finely. Add the salt, black
pepper and water; process 30 seconds. Stir into the tomatoes and
set aside.
2. To prepare the puttanesca sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large
saute pan. Add the anchovies and cook, mashing with the back of a
spoon, until disintegrated. Add the garlic, parsley and crushed
red pepper flakes. Cook 1 minute. Add the capers and olives;
cook 20 seconds.
3. Stir in the marinara base an simmer 5 minutes. Keep warm.
4. Cook the pasta in lots of boiling water according to package directions. Drain and put back into the hot pan.
5. Add the sauce and Parmesan. Stir well and transfer to a heated
bowl for serving.
Note: The original recipe called for 2 Tbsp salt and 3 Tbsp crushed
red pepper flakes. Times testers felt that the reduced amounts were
adequate. [Moderator's Note: Maybe for the salt....]
Obmodification: I plan to reduce the olive oil to 1/4 cup next time,
which is probably more than adequate and cuts down a bit on the fat.