Pasta alla Puttanesca

Pasta in the er, um, style of the ladies of the Evening
The two popular explanations regarding the origin of Pasta alla Putanesca are that,

Yield:
Makes 4 servings
Category:
Pasta
Cuisine:
Italian

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 Tbl. Olive Oil
  • 4-8 Anchovy filets 
  • 2-4 Cloves of garlic, peeled, crushed and finely chopped
  • 1 28 Oz. Can Italian Plum Tomatoes
  • 2 Tbl. capers, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 Cup Sicilian olives, pitted and halved
  • 2 Tbl. fresh Basil, finely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp. dried red pepper flakes (or more to your taste)
  • salt & freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 Tbl. Flat-leafed Italian Parsley, finely chopped
  • 4 deboned chicken breasts
  • 12 oz. Spaghetti, Linguine or spinach tagliatelle

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat, then add the olive oil. Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper and paprika, then add them to the hot oil and saute over medium heat until brown.  Transfer the chicken to a plate.  Add the anchovies and cook about 30 seconds. Lower the heat, add the garlic and sauté briefly until the garlic begins to color slightly around the edges. Note, this will happen quickly, so be attentive and don't let the garlic burn.
  2. Add the tomatoes, crushing them with the back of a fork as they go in, then the capers, black olives, basil and red pepper flakes. Bring to a gentle simmer and taste for salt and pepper. Add if necessary.
  3. Add the chicken breasts back into the pan and cook for twenty to thirty minutes, until the sauce has reduced and thickened. In the meantime, bring a pot with about six quarts of salted water to a boil and add the pasta, stirring to submerge and separate all of the strands. Cook until the p

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