Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca

Heat oil in a large pot (I used a Calphalon Windsor pot) over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes with puree, olives, anchovies, capers, oregano, and crushed red pepper. Simmer sauce over medium-low heat about 15 minutes, until thickened. Season with salt and pepper (I forgot). Toss with cooked and drained spaghetti. Top with parsley and Parmesan cheese.

NOTE: This is a combination of a recipe I found in the September 2008 Guideposts and on the Epicurious web site.  One called for drained Kalamata olives, halved, and pitted; the other called for the black olives. I chose the easy way. Also, my husband does not care for anchovies, so I did not use them. (However, at Christmas my daughter’s husband’s family ….Sicilian background…fixes oiled spaghetti for Christmas Eve. They heat olive oil, and then add anchovies, which disintegrate, and raisins, which get very plump. That mixture is tossed with cooked, drained pasta and you cannot taste the anchovies. However, I eliminated them from this recipe.) I couldn’t find a puree with basil, so I just got pureed tomatoes and added dried basil when I cooked it. I used 10 oz. of spaghetti and there is plenty for another meal for the two of us. We both very much liked the taste of the recipe!