The Lush Chef

The middle of January proved to be quite a busy one for the Lush Chef—awards season, evening events and Sundance.  I had a couple of hours one night to make dinner and was really craving pasta, but I didn't want something too heavy.  This Pasta Puttanesca from the Bite Me cookbook proved to be a quick recipe with plenty of healthy ingredients that packed a lot of flavor–capers, olives and tomatoes, with red pepper flakes, oregano and parsley for an added kick.  I had a bottle of pinot noir still open from my Golden Globes party, so I used the rest of that.  Thankfully, there was enough to pour myself a glass while that sauce simmered... If you don't cook a lot, or are scared to, this is a great dish to try.  Toss away that jar of spaghetti sauce and stick to this recipe.  You're sure to impress yourself and your friends.  And according to my cookbook, this Neapolitan pasta is also known as "whore's spaghetti."  I'm just throwing that out there.

Pasta Puttanesca - serves 6
Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup black olives, pitted & halved
• 1 Tbs capers, drained
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (if you like more of a kick, add 1/4 tsp instead)
• 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup dry red wine
• 3/4 lb fettuccine pasta
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbs finely chopped fresh parsley

- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat.
- Meanwhile, for the sauce, heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Add the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute.
- Add the olives, capers, oregano, salt, red pepper flakes and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add the diced tomatoes and red wine, bringing to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add pasta to your large pot of boiling water and cook until tender.
- Drain the pasta and return to the large pot.
- When the sauce is done, add it to the large pot with the pasta and toss until evenly coated.
- Top each serving with the parmesan cheese and parsley.