Fire Roasted Puttanesca Sauce

I went old school and made this classic tomato sauce, but gave a little twist using canned fire roasted tomatoes! Puttanesca is a delicious combo of tomatoes, garlic, capers, and olives. It’s a great balance of salty, tangy, and rich flavors. You also get a hint of spice from the red chili flakes and a nice pop of freshness from the basil. I kept this dish vegetarian by leaving out anchovies, but added the herbs to create some depth to this sauce that is made out of pantry staples! It’s only a few steps and you aren’t limited to spooning it over pasta; it was amazing with pan seared shrimp which is what we had for dinner. 

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp oil

• 1/2 white onion, sliced

• 3 garlic cloves, crushed or finely minced

• 1 cup olives (black and green), drained and roughly chopped

• 1 tbsp capers, drained

• 1 tsp Herbs de Provence paste

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

• 1/2-1 tsp sugar if needed

• Basil for garnish

Heat oil in a Dutch oven or heavy bottom pan. Add sliced onion and garlic then sauté on medium to medium-high for 2 minutes until onion is translucent. Add olives, capers, crushed red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute. Add fire roasted tomatoes, salt, and Herbs de Provence paste and stir everything to combine. Let sauce come to a simmer and then cover. Cook for 25 minutes until tomatoes have broken down. If the sauce is a bit sour from the tomatoes you can add a pinch or two of sugar to balance out the flavors. Garnish with chopped basil and serve with pasta, seafood, or chicken!

Instant Pot: Place all ingredients in the bottom of your Instant Pot, and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes then quick release. 

Tips

1. You can substitute the Herbs de Provence paste for 1 teaspoon of dried italian seasoning.