Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca

A good easy lunch if you have a few minutes, exploding with all the flavors of Lazio and Sicily- so celebrating both the Mediterranean bloodlines of yours truly.  According to the stories (probably apocryphal), this was a quick and easy meal Italian prostitutes cooked themselves between clients.  Alternatively, it was a meal they used to attract customers.

Black Olives: 4 oz (Coarsely chopped. Canned is fine)

Flat Anchovies: 2 oz (Coarsely chopped. Canned is fine)

Grape Tomatoes: 10 oz (cut in half.)

Chile Pepper: 1 small (diced)

Olive Oil

Merlot: 1/3 cup

Capers: 2 oz

Garlic: 3 cloves (diced) (shallots can be substituted)

Spaghetti

Salt

Fresh Parsley (chopped)

Serves Two.

 Heat olive oil on low to medium heat.

Add anchovies, garlic, olives, capers, chile. Cook for about 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes, cook for 10 minutes.

Add merlot.  Cook for 5 more minutes.

Remove from heat, add salt and chopped parsley to taste.

Cook spaghetti.  

Drain, add spaghetti to sauce, add back to heat and cook for about 3-5 minutes.

Serve with fresh parsley on top.

Keto Version: Funghi alla Puttanesca.  

Begin as above.  When removing sauce from heat, saute mushrooms in olive oil.  After mushrooms are cooked, add to sauce, cook together 3-5 minutes, serve as above.