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When I’m craving something salty and comforting that feels fancy but only takes a few minutes, there is nothing I crave more than pasta with Green Olive Puttanesca Sauce!
This is a super-simple recipe you can make with pantry staples, and is a great meat-free pasta you can whip up quickly whenever the craving hits!
Don’t want all the extras in a recipe post? We provide a skip to recipe button in the top left corner, as well as a clickable table of contents, just below, to help make this page easier to navigate.
At Sweet C’s, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.
Table of Contents
How to Make Green Olive Puttanesca Pasta
This recipe is super simple to make – cook the sauce as the pasta is boiling for a quick, delicious, and flavor-packed dinner!
Green Puttanesca Pasta Recipe Ingredients
To make this pasta recipe, we will need the following ingredients:
- 12 oz long pasta (spaghetti, linguine, or similar) – acts as the backbone of the dish, providing structure and a neutral canvas for the bold, briny sauce. Long pasta allows the light oil-based sauce to cling evenly to every strand for full flavor in each bite.
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil – forms the base of the sauce, carrying and melding all the flavors together. Its rich, fruity depth infuses with garlic, anchovy, and chili to create a silky coating for the pasta.
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter – adds smoothness and richness, softening the sharper edges of the lemon, capers, and olives. The combination of butter and olive oil gives the sauce body and a luxurious mouthfeel.
- 3–4 garlic cloves, minced – adds warm, savory depth and aroma. When gently sautéed, the garlic infuses the oil with flavor and forms the foundation of the puttanesca sauce.
- 1 tablespoon anchovy paste – delivers savory umami that enhances every other ingredient. It dissolves completely into the oil, enriching the sauce without leaving a fishy taste.
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste – provides gentle heat and balance. The spice cuts through the richness of the oil and butter, adding brightness and a touch of warmth.
- 1 cup pitted green olives, roughly chopped or halved – bring a briny, buttery flavor with a slightly firm texture. Green olives make the dish lighter and fresher than traditional black olive puttanesca, adding tang and color.
- 2–3 tablespoons capers, drained – intensify the salty, briny character of the sauce. Their sharp acidity balances the richness of the oil and butter while adding bursts of flavor in each bite.
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts – add a nutty, buttery depth and a subtle crunch. Lightly toasted pine nuts lend warmth and texture, balancing the saltiness of the olives and anchovies.
- ¼ cup chopped green onions (green and white parts) – bring mild sweetness and a touch of freshness. They enhance the savory notes of the sauce without overpowering the garlic.
- 1 lemon, zest and juice – adds brightness and acidity that lift the rich, salty flavors. The zest gives a fragrant citrus note, while the juice balances the oil and butter, making the dish taste light and vibrant.
- Handful fresh basil or parsley, chopped – adds freshness, color, and a clean herbal note at the end. Basil contributes a slightly sweet, peppery flavor, while parsley adds a crisp, green finish.
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper – enhance and balance all the other flavors. Salt heightens the savory notes, while black pepper adds gentle warmth and complexity.
- Reserved pasta cooking water – helps emulsify the sauce, allowing it to cling perfectly to the pasta. The starch in the water creates a cohesive, glossy texture and prevents the sauce from separating.
Steps to Make Green Olive Puttanesca Pasta
Once you’ve gathered the ingredients for this recipe, we will use the following process:
Heat Capers, Pine Nuts, Garlic
While boiling water and cooking pasta, heat capers, pine nuts, and garlic until fragrant, about 3 minutes. I like caper brine and leave it in, but most drain it.
Add Butter & Olives
Add butter, olives, red pepper flakes, and green onions. Heat until butter is melted, stirring occasionally.
Add Pasta Water
Add 1/2 cup starchy pasta cooking water when pasta is draining, mix into sauce. Bring to boil and reduce to thicken. Add lemon and pasta. Toss.
Serve
Serve with fresh torn basil and extra red pepper flakes, as desired. Enjoy!
Tips and Tricks to Perfect Puttanesca Pasta
Good Olive Oil: Use high-quality extra-virgin olive oil for the best flavor since it forms the base of the sauce. A fruity, peppery olive oil adds depth and richness that carries through the entire dish.
Toast Pine Nuts: Toasting brings out their buttery flavor and adds a delicate crunch that contrasts beautifully with the briny olives and capers. Keep a close eye while toasting—they burn quickly.
Don’t Burn Garlic: Cook the garlic gently in the oil over medium heat. You want it golden and fragrant, not brown or bitter. Once it turns lightly golden, immediately move to the next step to prevent overcooking.
Melt Anchovy Paste: Let the anchovy paste melt fully into the oil before adding the other ingredients. This step builds umami flavor and creates the salty-savory backbone of the sauce without leaving any fishy taste.
Use Good Olives: Use good-quality green olives like Castelvetrano, Picholine, or Manzanilla. Their buttery, mild brininess balances perfectly with the sharpness of capers and lemon. Roughly chopping them gives texture and little bursts of flavor in every bite.
Watch Salt: Balance the salt carefully. The anchovies, olives, and capers are all salty, so taste the sauce before adding any extra salt. Add more only at the end if needed.
Save Pasta Water: Save and use your pasta cooking water. The starch in it helps the sauce cling to the noodles and gives a silky finish. Add it gradually while tossing to create a cohesive, glossy sauce.
Don’t Cook Lemon: Add the lemon zest and juice off the heat. This keeps the flavor bright and fresh rather than bitter or cooked down. The acidity lifts the richness of the olive oil and anchovy base.
Add Herbs at End: Toss in the herbs at the very end. Basil or parsley loses its fresh flavor if cooked too long. Adding them last keeps the dish vibrant and aromatic.
Add Extra Pine Nuts: If you like extra texture, sprinkle a few more toasted pine nuts on top when serving. They add crunch and a nutty aroma that ties all the flavors together.
Eat Right Away: This dish is best eaten immediately, but leftovers can be reheated gently with a splash of olive oil or water to loosen the sauce without drying out the pasta.
Green Olive Puttanesca FAQs
Yes. You can skip the anchovy paste and add an extra tablespoon of capers or a few finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes for a similar savory depth. The dish will still be briny and flavorful, just slightly less rich in umami.
Castelvetrano olives are ideal for their buttery, mild flavor and firm texture. Picholine or Manzanilla olives also work well. Avoid very salty or overly brined varieties, which can overpower the other ingredients.
Definitely, toasting pine nuts brings out their nutty sweetness and gives a delicate crunch. Toast them in a dry pan over medium-low heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring often until golden and fragrant.
Yes. You can prepare the olive, caper, garlic, and anchovy mixture in advance and store it in the refrigerator for up to two days. Reheat it gently in a skillet, add the cooked pasta, and finish with lemon and herbs just before serving.
Long pasta like spaghetti or linguine works best because the light, oil-based sauce clings evenly to each strand. However, shorter shapes like penne or fusilli also work if you prefer something easier to toss and serve.
What to Serve With Puttanesca Pasta
Green Olive Puttanesca
Ingredients
- 12 oz long pasta, spaghetti, linguine, or similar
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon anchovy paste
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
- 1 cup pitted green olives, roughly chopped or halved
- 2 –3 tablespoons capers, drained
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- ¼ cup chopped green onions, green and white parts
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- Handful fresh basil or parsley, chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Reserved pasta cooking water
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just shy of al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining.
- While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil and butter together in a large skillet over medium heat until the butter melts and begins to foam.
- Add the minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for 1–2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and lightly golden.
- Stir in the anchovy paste and cook until it dissolves into the oil and butter mixture, creating a rich, savory base.
- Add the chopped green onions and cook for 1–2 minutes, just until softened.
- Stir in the chopped green olives, capers, and toasted pine nuts. Cook for another 2–3 minutes so the flavors meld together.
- Add the cooked pasta directly into the skillet. Toss well to coat, adding splashes of the reserved pasta cooking water as needed to loosen the sauce and help it cling to the noodles.
- Add the lemon zest and juice, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Remove from heat and toss in the chopped basil or parsley just before serving.
- Serve immediately, topped with extra pine nuts, herbs, or a drizzle of olive oil if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
