Penne Alla Puttanesca

A terrific pasta sauce recipe from Come Dine with Me, guest & winner John's grandmother's recipe. On the show he only used 1 chili, although he said he normally uses 2. I used 2 bird chilies and personally could even go hotter, so adjust the heat according to your tastes. I seasoned several times while making this.. you have to be careful not to add too much to start as the capers and anchovies already add some salt to the dish.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2  medium onions, chopped finely
• 6  garlic cloves, peeled, chopped finely
• 1 -2  red chile, chopped finely
• 1  cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped finely (1 large handful)
• 100  g pitted black olives, chopped (drained weight)
• 5  tablespoons capers
• 1 (50 g) can  anchovies packed in oil, drained, chopped finely
• 4 (400 g) cans chopped tomatoes
•  extra virgin olive oil, to taste
•  sugar, to taste (a tspful or so, depends on the acidity of the tomatoes)
•  salt and pepper, to taste

• To serve

• 16  ounces penne pasta, cooked, drained

Directions

1. Over medium-low heat, saute the onions, garlic, and chilli in a couple of Tbsp of olive oil until soft, about 10-15 min, stirring occasionally.
2. Add the parsley and season well.
3. Pour in the canned tomatoes, stirring the mixture well, then stir in the olives, capers, anchovies, a small amount of sugar (to reduce acidity), some more seasoning to taste, and a drizzle of olive oil(optional, I didn't add any extra oil).
4. Let simmer over low heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 45 min to a an hour, until thick and reduced and the color has darkened to a reddish-brown.
5. Test for flavors and adjust seasoning, adding more salt & pepper and/or another pinch of sugar as needed.
6. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package, drain(reserving some of the liquid) and then return to the pan.
7. Ladle in a few helpings of the sauce at a time, stopping to stir the mixture, until all of the pasta has been generously coated, serving the rest on the side.
8. This sauce is very thick, which we loved, but adding a bit of the pasta cooking liquid will thin it if you prefer a bit looser sauce.
9. Serve immediately.