Puntanesca Sauce

This is one of my very favorite dishes and my  mother use to make this on week nights when I was growing up. The simplicity of it makes it incredible every night of the week and always seems to impress the people you make it for.

For those of you who don't know the story behind the name of this sauce, in Italian "Punta" means whore.  And the story goes that this dish is so quick to make that the prostitutes would cook it in between their "clients".  The truth of this story is debatable but when you are impressing people with this dish a cleaver anticdote never hurt.

Ingredients:

1/2 Medium Yellow Onion, finely chopped
3-5 Anchovy filets (don't be scared)
2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
8-10 Olives, roughly chopped
1 Large Can of Whole Plum Tomatoes
1 TBSP of Capers
1 TBSP Olive Oil
Red Pepper Flakes, Salt and Pepper

** The best thing is that this recipe is so easily adjusted.  If you don't like olives, simple leave them out or use less of them.  There is no exact science to this, it can easily be doubled or tripled and adjusted to your taste buds.

1. In large bowl add the can of whole plum tomatoes.  Crush with your hands to your desired  chunkiness level.  (I know they sell tomatoes already crushed, diced, etc but I prefer it done this way--- don't want to get your hands dirty, use your food processer and pulse a few times).  Set tomatoes aside.

2. In a deep pot heat olive oil to medium high heat and saute onions. Season with salt and pepper (just a little salt, those anchovies and olives are going to be salty too). After the onions have began to soften add the anchovies.  Break them up with your wooden spoon and they will melt away into the onions.  Once the onions have become translucent lower the heat to medium and add the garlic and olives.  Saute for 1-2 minutes. 

3.  Add your hand crushed tomatoes and a quarter cup of water to the pot. Add red pepper flakes to your desired heat level.  Bring to boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Let cook for 10-15 minutes. 

4.  Taste the sauce and add an additional salt and pepper as needed (remember between the anchovies, olives, etc, there is a bit of salt in there but i usually find that for me it needs just a pinch more).  Add capers and let cook for another 2-3 minutes.  Your sauce is now done!

You can serve this sauce over the pasta of your choice. It is also great to put on top of sauteed vegetables or sauce on a sandwich or simply sopped up with italian bread.