If you love bold Mediterranean flavours and quick comforting dinners, this vegan pasta puttanesca is one to keep on repeat. It’s salty, tangy, garlicky, slightly spicy and packed with flavour. All while coming together in less than 20 minutes.
Pasta Puttanesca – A Flavourful Vegan Twist on a Classic Italian Dish
Spaghetti alla puttanesca is one of my favourite pasta recipes. It’s filled with so many wonderful flavours from garlic, tomatoes, olives and capers, while still feeling light, fresh and just slightly spicy.
This is the kind of recipe that’s perfect for busy weeknights but impressive enough to serve to friends. You can make it with almost any pasta shape, though I especially love it with spaghetti or penne.
This vegan take on the classic Italian dish is inspired by the pan-fried gnocchi with aubergine puttanesca recipe from my cookbook “Less Meat, More Plants“. Traditionally, puttanesca contains anchovies, but here I’m using nori and soy sauce to recreate that deep savoury flavour. Combined with rich briny Kalamata olives, tangy capers and juicy tomatoes, it creates an incredibly delicious pasta sauce in just 20 minutes. Perfect for those busy weeknight dinners.
To turn it into a more complete meal, I like to serve it with a side of protein such as pan-fried tofu, tempeh or chickpeas.
Other Pasta Recipes To Try
Why You’ll Love This Pasta Puttanesca
- Ready in just 20 minutes
- Use any kind of pasta (penne, spaghetti, fusilli etc..)
- Rich, bold Mediterranean flavours
- Completely vegan (using dairy-free parmesan-style cheese or my cashew parmesan)
- Made mostly from pantry staples
- Light yet satisfying
- Perfect for busy weeknights
What is Pasta Puttanesca?
Spaghetti alla puttanesca is a classic pasta dish associated with southern Italy, particularly Naples. The sauce traditionally combines tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, olives, capers and anchovies to create a salty, savoury and deeply flavourful pasta sauce.
The origins of puttanesca are still debated. It’s often nicknamed “prostitute pasta sauce,” with several stories explaining the unusual name. Some believe it originated in Naples as a quick dish prepared between clients, while others say the rich aromas drifting from the kitchen were used to lure customers from the street.
Another popular story credits Sandro Petti on the island of Ischia, who supposedly created the dish using leftover pantry ingredients for late-night diners.
Whatever the true origin, one thing is certain: it’s absolutely delicious.
Tips for the Best Puttanesca
- Use good quality olives such as Kalamatas, they make a huge difference.
- Use good quality canned tomatoes (often less acidic than cheaper alternatives)
- Add a pinch of sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes if needed
- For extra heat, increase the chilli flakes.
- Don’t overcook the pasta
Watch How To Make Pasta Puttanesca
How to Make Vegan Pasta Puttanesca
Ingredients You’ll Need
- pasta
- olive oil
- red onion
- canned diced tomatoes
- Kalamata olives, pitted
- garlic
- capers
- tomato purée
- nori sheet
- chilli flakes
- sugar
- low-sodium soy sauce
- fresh basil
- parmesan-style cheese
Step 1: Make the Pasta Sauce
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a saucepan. Add the onion and cook gently, stirring from time to time, until they start to soften, 6 to 8 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes, olives, garlic, capers, tomato purée, nori, chilli flakes. Turn the heat to medium-low heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Step 2: Cook the Pasta
In the meantime, cook the pasta in salted water as per packet instructions. When the pasta is cooked, drain well.
Step 3: Adjust Seasoning
Once the pasta sauce has simmered for 10 minutes, stir in 1 teaspoon of sugar and some soy sauce. Taste and add up to 1 teaspoon more sugar, if desired. Season to taste with salt.
Step 4: Combine and Serve
Stir the cooked pasta with the pasta sauce and basil until everything is well combined.
Serve topped with parmesan-style cheese either on its own or paired with a grilled protein of choice.
What to Serve with Pasta Puttanesca
This pasta is delicious on its own, but I love pairing it with:
- Pan-fried tofu
- Pan-fried tempeh
- Plain or crispy chickpeas
- A green salad
- Garlic bread
- Roasted vegetables
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Traditional puttanesca usually contains anchovies. This version uses nori and soy sauce to recreate that savoury umami flavour without fish.
While spaghetti is the classic choice, penne, fusilli, linguine and rigatoni also work really well.
Yes, simply use your favourite gluten-free pasta.
Traditionally it has a gentle chilli heat, but you can easily adjust the spice level to your taste.
I hope you enjoy this vegan pasta puttanesca recipe as much as I do. If you do make it, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Make sure to save this recipe for later and share it with friends and family looking for fresh, healthy meal ideas!
Vegan Pasta Puttanesca
Equipment
Disclaimer: the equipment list above includes affiliate links to products I use and like.
Watch How To Make This Recipe
Ingredients
- 360 g dry pasta penne, spaghetti, fusilli etc..
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 60 g red onion finely diced
- 800 g canned diced tomatoes
- 120 g Kalamata olives pitted & drained
- 3 cloves garlic grated
- 2 Tbsp capers
- 1 Tbsp tomato purée
- 1 nori sheet thinly sliced
- 1/4 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 to 2 tsp granulated sugar
- low-sodium soy sauce
- 10 g fresh basil roughly chopped
- parmesan-style cheese optional
Instructions
- Make the pasta sauce: Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a saucepan. Add the onion and cook gently, stirring from time to time, until they start to soften, 6 to 8 minutes.2 Tbsp olive oil, 60 g red onion
- Stir in the tomatoes, olives, garlic, capers, tomato purée, nori, chilli flakes. Turn the heat to medium-low heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.800 g canned diced tomatoes, 120 g Kalamata olives, 3 cloves garlic, 2 Tbsp capers, 1 Tbsp tomato purée, 1 nori sheet, 1/4 tsp chilli flakes
- In the meantime, cook the pasta in salted water as per packet instructions.360 g dry pasta
- Once the pasta sauce has simmered for 10 minutes, stir in 1 teaspoon of sugar and some soy sauce. Taste and add up to 1 teaspoon more sugar, if desired. Season to taste with salt.1 to 2 tsp granulated sugar, low-sodium soy sauce
- When the pasta is cooked, drain well.
- Stir the cooked pasta with the pasta sauce and basil until everything is well combined.10 g fresh basil
- Serve topped with parmesan-style cheese either on its own or paired with a grilled protein of choice.parmesan-style cheese
Nutrition
Find this recipe online:
https://theflexitarian.co.uk/recipe-items/pasta-puttanesca-vegan/
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