• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Cilantro Parsley
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Dinner
    • Sides
    • Appetizer
    • Instant Pot & Slow Cooker
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Approachable Mexican, Latin and Italian Recipes
  • Modern Sidebar
  • Recipe Box
  • Shop
  • About Me
  • Privacy Policy
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Box
  • Subscribe
  • About Me
  • Instagram
  • Español
  • Shop My Recipes
  • Videos
  • Privacy Policy
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Box
  • Subscribe
  • About Me
  • Instagram
  • Español
  • Shop My Recipes
  • Videos
  • Privacy Policy
×

Home » Recipes » Italian

Vegan Puttanesca

Published: Sep 1, 2021 · Modified: Oct 19, 2022 by Maxine Dubois · This post may contain affiliate links Leave a Comment

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

This Vegan Puttanesca is made with onion, garlic, white wine, tomatoes, capers, olives, and topped on al dente spaghetti.

This Vegan Puttanesca is made with onion, garlic, white wine, tomatoes, capers, olives, and topped on al dente spaghetti.

The word Puttanesca derived from the lack of jobs in Italy during World War 2, and women resorting to working the night shift. They did not have money or ingredients at home and threw together whatever they could find.

Savory and sweet, spicy and bold, pasta puttanesca packs a punch that will make your taste buds salivate with each slurpy bite.

The word puttanesca translates roughly to "lady of the night." We make this pasta with capers, olives and garlic although it traditionally contains anchovies. The best part? It takes 20 minutes to make. 

Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions
  • Substitutions
  • Variations
  • Equipment
  • Storage
  • Top tip
  • Vegan Puttanesca
  • Food safety

Ingredients

You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:

  • Olive oil
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • White wine
  • Whole plum tomatoes
  • Red pepper flakes
  • Capers
  • Black olives
  • Spaghetti
  • Basil
  • Parmesan (if not vegan)

See recipe card for Vegan Puttanesca quantities.

Instructions

In a large pan, add olive oil and onion and cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic until it starts to brown, around 1 minute. Pour in the white wine and stir. Bring to a simmer until wine evaporates by half, about 4 minutes.

In a large pan, add olive oil and onion and cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic until it starts to brown, around 1 minute. Pour in the white wine and stir. Bring to a simmer until wine evaporates by half, about 4 minutes.

Add the crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered, for about 10 minutes.

Add the crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered, for about 10 minutes.

Add the olives, capers, red pepper flakes and cook for another 6 minutes. 

Stir in the basil and simmer, covered, for another 5 minutes.

Stir in the basil and simmer, covered, for another 5 minutes.

Top the pasta with the sauce and parmesan cheese(if not vegan).

Top the pasta with the sauce and parmesan cheese(if not vegan).

Substitutions

  • Capers: Capers are usually found in the canned goods at the grocery store, beside the pickles and jalapeños. They are lemony, briney, and salty and pair so well on this dish.
  • Olive oil: I used good quality extra virgin olive oil.
  • Tomatoes: I used diced tomatoes from the can instead of fresh tomatoes. The San Marzano whole tomatoes are always the way to go.
  • Garlic: For best results, use fresh garlic.
  • Olives: You can buy pre sliced Kalamata olives but you can use any black olive and slice them yourself.

Variations

Cooking is a chance to be creative! Have fun with it and feel free to make your own variation.

  • Spicy - add more chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish.
  • Deluxe - Make a Pizza Puttanesca with the sauce.
  • Kid friendly - Use fun sized pasta.
This Vegan Puttanesca is made with onion, garlic, white wine, tomatoes, capers, olives, and topped on al dente spaghetti.

Equipment

Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Stone bakeware takes longer to heat up than metal pans, and also retain heat for longer, which could make the recipe more watery, or burnt on the outsides.

I love using my Caraway pots, pans and baking sheets for best quality. Get yourself a discount by clicking here!

Storage

This will be good in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

This Vegan Puttanesca can be frozen for up to three months.

Top tip

Make sure to simmer the white wine until evaporated by half, even if it means longer time.

YouTube player
Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Vegan Puttanesca


  • Author: Maxine Dubois
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

This Vegan Puttanesca is made with onion, garlic, white wine, tomatoes, capers, olives, and topped on al dente spaghetti.


Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ½ yellow onion, diced
  • 2 tablespoons of minced garlic
  • ⅓ cup of white wine
  • 1 28 oz can whole plum tomatoes, drained and crushed by hand
  • 1 tablespoon of crushed red peppers
  • ⅓ cup of drained capers
  • ½ of drained black olives, sliced in halves
  • 1 lb of cooked spaghetti
  • ¼ cup of chopped fresh basil
  • Parmesan, to serve (omit if vegan)

Instructions

  1. In a large pan, add olive oil and onion and cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic until it starts to brown, around 1 minute. Pour in the white wine and stir. Bring to a simmer until wine evaporates by half, about 4 minutes.
  2. Add the crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered, for about 10 minutes.
  3. Add the olives, capers, red pepper flakes and cook for another 6 minutes. Stir in the basil and simmer, covered, for another 5 minutes.
  4. Top the pasta with the sauce and parmesan cheese (omit if vegan).
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Cooking
  • Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 580
  • Sodium: 580mg
  • Fat: 15g
  • Saturated Fat: 2.3g
  • Carbohydrates: 93g
  • Fiber: 9.6g
  • Protein: 19g
  • Cholesterol: 2.6mg

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @cilantro.parsley on Instagram and hashtag it #cilantroparsley

Food safety

  • Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
  • Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
  • Wash hands after touching raw meat
  • Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
  • Never leave cooking food unattended
  • Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
  • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

More Italian

  • Pink Sauce Pasta
  • Rustic Pizza Puttanesca with Onions
  • Caprese Skewers with Prosciutto
  • Fennel Red Onion Salad

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Maxine!

I am a Mexican American recipe creator & food blogger dedicated to cultivating the cooking experience. I love Latin recipes and inspiring you to cook them by incorporating videos to simplify and share my recipes.  My favorite cuisines are Mexican and Italian, which is why I came up with the name Cilantro Parsley!

You can also find me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook & Youtube

More about me →

Popular

  • Champurrado Authentic Recipe
  • Nespresso Pumpkin Spice Latte (Low Calorie)
  • Mexican Instant Pot Recipes
  • Canned Pumpkin Rice Recipe with Coconut Milk
  • Shrimp Poblano
  • Instant Pot Oatmeal with Apple
  • Gorditas Recipe with Maseca
  • Lobster Bucatini

Find my recipes in Spanish here.

Copyright © 2023 Cilantro Parsley on the Foodie Pro Theme