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    Home > Vegan Italian Recipes > Vegan Pasta Recipes

    Vegan Pasta Puttanesca

    Posted: Jul 2, 2017 ยท Updated: Sep 6, 2021

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    Vegan Pasta Puttanesca - holycowvegan.net
    Pasta Puttanesca is a fabled Italian dish made entirely with pantry ingredients like canned tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes, olives --and anchovies. In this vegan Pasta Puttanesca I use two delicious ingredients that substitute perfectly for the anchovies, and no one will be able to tell the difference. You can also combine the gluten-free sauce with a gf pasta.
    Photo of Vegan Pasta Puttanesca in a steel saucepan with olives, tomato sauce and a pair of tongs.

    There is perhaps no pasta dish that teases and titillates a vegan cook's imagination as maddeningly as Pasta Puttanesca.  Brazen and vibrant, this Italian classic, which literally translates to whore's pasta, appears at once attainable (all but one ingredient is vegan) and forbidding (darn those anchovies!).

    Italian lore has it that Pasta Puttanesca was thus named because it was invented by prostitutes hoping to lure customers in with its rich aroma. Other versions attribute the sauce to the prostitutes' uber-busy lifestyles: they didn't have time to go shop for fresh ingredients, so they just threw together what was in the pantry.

    Overhead photo of Vegan Pasta Puttanesca in bowls with olives, tomato sauce and parsley.

    Whatever its origins, Pasta Puttanesca is one of those dishes that, once you've had it, is impossible to forget.

    In my pre-vegan days it was one of the pasta dishes I cooked the most, but after going fish-free I didn't dare try it because it seemed close to impossible to find a vegan replacement for the anchovies. While it is easy enough to swap out fishy stuff in most dishes, the reason why it just seems that much harder with Pasta Puttanesca is that the anchovies and their peculiar saltiness melt into the sauce, forming a strong flavor base that ties together the rest of the ingredients, like the tomatoes, olives and garlic. Without the anchovies, in other words, you'd just be eating pasta in a tomato sauce with olives. And while that can be tasty enough, what's the big deal about it?

    When I first shared this Vegan Pasta Puttanesca recipe with you back in 2011 (it was titled "Vegan Slut's Spaghetti at the time ๐Ÿ˜‰ -- a saucy sobriquet first used by Nigella Lawson), I researched replacements for anchovies and came up with suggestions ranging from vegetarian Worcestershire sauce to capers, but neither seemed like they would replicate that oceany flavor and rich saltiness of the anchovies. Besides, puttanesca sauce recipes usually already contain capers.

    Then, I had a small brainwave that sent me rushing to my pantry. I used two ingredients to replace the anchovies: seaweed, which brought to the sauce that fresh-ocean flavor, and tamari, which added  a rich, deep, sweet saltiness.

    My Vegan Pasta Puttanesca did not miss a flavor beat. It is perhaps the pasta dish that's most requested and cooked in my kitchen, and even little Jay has come to love it. I have updated the recipe, so I wanted to share it with you again, and to remind you once again that because you are vegan, there's really no need to miss out on your favorite recipes.

    This is one to fall in love with. Enjoy, all!

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    Vegan Pasta Puttanesca Recipe:

    Spaghetti cooking in pot for vegan pasta puttanesca.
    Sauce for Vegan Pasta Puttanesca in steel saucepan.
    Vegan Pasta Puttanesca in a saucepan with a pair of tongs.
    Vegan Pasta Puttanesca being served with tongs.
    Vegan Pasta Puttanesca in two black and white bowls with a fork and a black and white napkin.
    Vegan Pasta Puttanesca - holycowvegan.net

    Vegan Pasta alla Puttanesca

    Pasta Puttanesca is a fabled Italian dish made entirely with pantry ingredients like canned tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes, olives --and anchovies. In this vegan Pasta Puttanesca I use two delicious ingredients that substitute perfectly for the anchovies, and no one will be able to tell the difference. You can also combine the gluten-free sauce with a gf pasta.
    5 from 34 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Review Recipe
    Course: Pasta
    Cuisine: Italian, nut-free, Vegan
    Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
    Keyword: Vegan Pasta Puttanesca
    Prep Time: 10 mins
    Cook Time: 30 mins
    Total Time: 40 mins
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 251kcal
    Author: Vaishali ยท Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes

    Ingredients 

    • 1 pound whole-wheat or regular spaghetti or fettucine
    • 2 tablespoon powdered seaweed (I crumpled up Nori sheets, put them in my blender, and processed them to a fine powder. A spice grinder might work even better.)
    • 1 tablespoon Tamari (use soy sauce if you don't have this)
    • 1 28-oz can plum or San Marzano tomatoes, crushed, or 10 fresh tomatoes, diced, with all juices
    • 1 cup pitted, oil-cured olives, roughly chopped
    • 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • ยฝ cup chopped parsley
    • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
    • 3 tablespoon capers
    • Salt and ground black pepper to taste.
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente
    • While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the garlic and red pepper and toss until the garlic turns lightly golden.
    • Add the powdered seaweed and stir for another minute.
    • Add the tomatoes, olives, oregano, parsley, and capers. Cook over medium heat until the tomatoes release their juices and the juices start to thicken. If using canned tomatoes, cook for 15 minutes or until the sauce turns a deep red.
    • Add the tamari and more salt, if needed. Season with ground black pepper.
    • Add the pasta to the sauce, toss to coat, and turn off the heat. Garnish with more parsley if you like, and serve hot.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 251kcal | Carbohydrates: 40.7g | Protein: 7.5g | Fat: 6.9g | Potassium: 453mg | Fiber: 6.4g | Sugar: 4.4g | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2.9mg
    Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment and recipe rating below!
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    About Vaishali


    Hi! I am so happy you're here. I'm Vaishali, and I've been sharing recipes for delicious vegan food at Holy Cow Vegan since 2007. Every one of the more than 1,000 recipes on this blog has been tried and tested -- and loved -- by my family and I. I hope you will find something here to share with your loved ones. Thanks for stopping by!
    Read more about me here.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Els

      January 13, 2022 at 11:14 am

      5 stars
      It's incredible how well the nori works! I think I wouldn't have tasted the difference if I hadn't made this myself.

      Thank you so much for sharing this, Vaishali!

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        January 13, 2022 at 11:28 am

        Hi Els, so happy you enjoyed the puttanesca! Thanks for letting me know. The nori really does make all the difference. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    2. Shambhavi Sahai

      July 05, 2021 at 8:52 am

      5 stars
      Really enjoyed this recipe!! Skipped the nori, and it really hit the spot ??
      Thank you ?

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        January 13, 2022 at 11:28 am

        Awesome, so happy to hear!

        Reply
    3. Tina W

      July 09, 2017 at 5:56 am

      This looks soooo rich for a vegan recipe!
      Tweeted: https://twitter.com/tinawoo21/status/883987892275523587

      Reply
    4. Rust

      July 08, 2017 at 9:18 pm

      5 stars
      Your recipe is really expanding my horizons! It sounds scrumptious and I will do my best to replicate! I shared on FB -

      Reply
      • Frederieke Seeger

        August 11, 2020 at 8:11 am

        5 stars
        Dear Vaishali

        Thank you for all your fantastic recipes, I live in Holland and have been vegan for 4 years now, and ne and my family love your creations! Thank you thank you thank you! Just made this for lunch since it is a hot day and your idea to use nouri turned out so great! Will make this more often.

        Love,
        Frederieke

        Reply
        • Vaishali

          January 13, 2022 at 11:29 am

          Hi Frederieke, so happy to hear, and thanks for your thoughtful and lovely comment.

          Reply
    5. Christine Lee

      July 06, 2017 at 10:25 pm

      Pinned on pinterest! Love pasta puttanesca.

      Reply
    6. Jacqueline St-Onge Boyer

      July 06, 2017 at 11:17 am

      Shared on Facebook. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
    7. Ashley Kolpak

      July 05, 2017 at 5:01 pm

      'shared
      https://twitter.com/aktheartist63/status/882705711578451968

      Reply
    8. Kimmy Ripley

      July 05, 2017 at 3:51 pm

      Cooking is my #1 passion in life and I would love to win these because my pots and pans are hand me downs!

      Reply
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    Vaishali Honawar, Holy Cow Vegan author, profile photo

    Hi, I'm Vaishali! I cook, eat and share easy, tasty and nutritious plant-based recipes from my Washington, D.C. kitchen, but I never fight a craving for samosas or French fries. 

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    Vaishali Honawar, Holy Cow Vegan author, profile photo

    Hi, I'm Vaishali! I cook, eat and share easy, tasty and nutritious plant-based recipes from my Washington, D.C. kitchen, but I never fight a craving for samosas or French fries. 

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