Puttanesca beans with spinach

Name: Puttanesca beans with spinach
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Italian recipes
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 large onion; 2 garlic cloves; 6 anchovy fillets in olive oil; 4 x 400g tins tomatoes (we used a mix of plum and chopped); 1 large tbsp tomato purée; 3 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained; Large handful black olives (we used unpitted kalamata); 2 x 400g tins butter beans (cannellini beans are also good); 300g frozen spinach, defrosted and excess water squeezed out; Parmesan and fresh basil leaves to serve

Published: 31 Mar 15
Updated: 25 Mar 24

Test kitchen approved

Puttanesca without pasta? Indeed. We use butter beans here instead of the usual pasta to make this a gluten-free recipe. If you don’t have butter beans, cannellini beans would be just as good.

Serves 4
Hands-on time 20 min, simmering time 55 min

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Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves
6 anchovy fillets in olive oil
4 x 400g tins tomatoes (we used a mix of plum and chopped)
1 large tbsp tomato purée
3 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
Large handful black olives (we used unpitted kalamata)
2 x 400g tins butter beans (cannellini beans are also good)
300g frozen spinach, defrosted and excess water squeezed out
Parmesan and fresh basil leaves to serve

Method

Heat the oil in a wide, deep saucepan over a low heat. Finely chop and add the onion, crush in the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
Add the anchovies and a little of the oil from the tin or jar. Cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes until the onions are soft.
Add the tomatoes and purée, then cook over a medium-high heat for 30 minutes to reduce (see tip). Stir every now and again.
Add the capers and olives, then cook for 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Taste and season (it may not need salt).
Drain the beans, rinse, then add to the sauce to warm through. Add the spinach to warm through, then taste and season. Serve with grated parmesan and basil.

Recipe from Febraury 2015 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 236kcals
Fat: 8.6g (1.2g saturated)
Protein: 13.4g
Carbohydrates: 26.7g (10.3g sugars)
Fibre: 12.6g
Salt: 2.4g

delicious. tips

It’s important to soften the onion and garlic without allowing it to colour. And the longer you can leave the puttanesca to reduce, the more flavour it will develop. Half an hour should be the minimum, but if you turn the heat to low and reduce for an hour you’ll get a wonderful consistency and flavour. Add 1 tsp sugar to balance the acidity.
Puttanesca is a classic Italian pasta sauce but we’ve used beans here for a gluten-free alternative.

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