This was the first recipe I made from a TV program, Jamie Oliver’s The Naked Chef, back when you had to watch and write recipes down quickly because cooking shows and recipes didn’t exist online. So I wrote it down and made it many times, memorized it, lost the paper, kept making it as my memory faded. I’ve ended up with this thing you see here, hands-down my favorite quick pasta sauce!

  • Yield: 4 servings
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 20 mins
  • Active: 10 mins

Ingredients (10)

  • Kosher salt
  • 1 pound dried spaghetti
  • 1 (2-ounce) can anchovies packed in olive oil
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tablespoon capers with their brine
  • 1 large jalapeño, chopped
  • 1 pound fresh ripe tomatoes, large dice
  • 6 to 8 kalamata olives, pitted and cut in half
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Start cooking the spaghetti according to the package directions.
  2. While the pasta is cooking, warm the oil from the anchovies in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the whole anchovies, garlic, and capers. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  3. Add the jalapeño and cook for 1 minute.
  4. Add the tomatoes and olives and cook, stirring, until the tomatoes have softened slightly, about 3 minutes. When the spaghetti is al dente, drain and add it to the sauce. Use tongs to toss, add some black pepper and 1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and toss again. Serve in warmed pasta bowls.