Spaghetti Puttanesca

This is one that I made once or twice for Dan and myself either when we were dating or early in our marriage. I am pretty sure I haven't made it in at least 3 or 4 years. Dan really enjoys black olives, and it's definitely got that savory/salty thing going on without the need for herbs or meat. I'd never used capers in anything before this, and to be honest, I haven't used them in anything else.

So here's the recipe. It's not really very complicated. I find that any recipe that requires me to begin by sauteing garlic and onion in a skillet makes the house smell delicious, and me happy. Because I'm using mostly canned/jarred veggies aside from the onion, there's very little pre-prep for me to do, which makes this almost as easy as plopping a jar of marinara in a saucepan. Not quite as easy, because you still have to measure a few things. I also tend to use about 1/2 a small jar of sliced olives, so I don't have to do anything with those either. This recipe is also ideal for using jarred minced garlic. If I were very ambitious, I'd can tomatoes in glass jars in the summer, to avoid some of the scary chemicals that canned tomatoes in metal cans tend to absorb, since I also use canned diced tomatoes when I make chili. That's not something that I've managed to do so far, though. Aside from the non-fresh ingredients, I find this recipe to be reasonably healthy, maybe a teensy bit high in sodium, but otherwise pretty low in fat and calories and high in nutrients with satisfying flavors. I use a good quality extra virgin olive oil for the "good fats". You could use whole grain or low carb pasta if you're worried about starchy pasta, or simply eat it with less pasta and more sauce.

Here are a few obligatory pictures of it cooking and the finished product.

Garlic and onion cooking

Added tomatoes, olives, capers, and wine

Cooked down and saucy

On a plate

Tonight I'll make one of my favorite Asian chicken dishes, Stir-Fried Chicken with Broccoli, yet another Digs recipe. Next week I'll have a little more variety as far as recipe sources. To be fair, most of the "old favorite" recipes I make are from my single/couple with no kids days, so Digs was attractive from the perspective that most recipes are scaled down for just one or two people. As time passes, I am becoming more attracted to the easily reheatable recipes for four or more, that can become leftover lunches.