Puttanesca Mezzetta

Recipe + Photos by April Viar 

I worked front of house at an italian restaurant for many years and puttanesca with no anchovies was one of my favorites. I put a spin on this delicious dish using Mezzetta’s Certified Vegan Roasted Garlic Sauce. With capers, kalamata olives, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes, this salty, spicy, rich tomato sauce hits the spot. Serve with a side of garlic bread and vegan parmesan topping for an excellent dinner. 

Servings: 6

INGREDIENTS

• 1 jar of Certified Vegan Mezzetta Roasted Garlic Sauce
• 3 tbsp capers with brine
• 1 cup kalamata olives, pitted
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil 
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 16 oz pack of spaghetti 

DIRECTIONS

• In a large pan on medium heat add the olive oil, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Saute for 2 mins, then add in the capers and kalamata olives and saute for 5 minutes. At this point you want to pour in the Certified Vegan Mezzetta Roasted Garlic Sauce. 
• Stir everything together and simmer on low for 20 minutes.  
• While the sauce is simmering, it is time to prepare the pasta. For 1 lb of pasta, use 4 quarts of water. Bring water to a rolling boil, add pasta to boiling water and stir. Cook uncovered and stir occasionally until desired tenderness is reached. Remember to reserve 1 cup of water to use to thin out sauce if needed. Drain the pasta and add it to your pan with the sauce.  
• Incorporate the pasta into the sauce, so everything is mixed well. At this point, if needed add 1/2 cup of the reserved water to thin out the sauce. Continue to cook on low for 5 more minutes and then serve. 

NOTES

Even if you are not feeding 6 people this pasta is great as leftovers. The puttanesca Mezzetta sauce soaked into the noodles is absolutely amazing!