Wheat-free Pasta Puttanesca

Pasta Puttanesca is not a typically 'old' Italian dish, and by making it wheat-free it truly will not be typical Italian. But the sauce is delicious and will taste authentic and 'old' school Italian, but the recipe only goes back to the mid-1900's. Puttanesca originated when the brothels of Italy were state-run the name actually means 'pasta the way a whore would make It,' or 'whore's pasta.' The ingredients are simple, and easy to find in the grocery store and to keep on your pantry shelves for a last minute dinner. They are of course, common ingredients to find anywhere in the Mediterranean where it originated, too. They are olive oil, garlic, sometimes with onions, peperoncinos (dried hot peppers), anchovy fillets, tomatoes, chopped capers (best in salt, not in vinegar) and stoned black olives. Chopped parsley and fresh basil leaves are sprinkled on last. These are the ingredients for the sauce.

Traditionally Puttanesca sauce would be served on spaghetti (spaghetti alla puttanesca), though recipes may differ according to preferences using other dry pastas like bucatini, linguine and vermicelli. Since this is a wheat-free dish, I suggest that you try whole grain rice to give it a hearty flavor. Second choice would be rice noodles or a sprouted noodles, any shape is fine. Check in your local health food store if you can't find any in your Grocery. (These are good items to keep on hand.) Be careful to read the label first to make sure that there are no traces of wheat products in them. This is a zesty Italian sauce, and the only difference will be switching out the pasta.
Here's a delicious wheat-free recipe for Puttanescha.

Choose either rice or sprouted noodles, or brown rice and prepare as directed.

Sauce:
1/2 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small onion, sliced very thin (if desired)
Put these ingredients in large skillet, or sauce pan. Sauté lightly.

Add:
2 cups chopped tomatoes; either fresh or if you are in a hurry, use canned.
4 anchovy filets, rinsed and mashed with a fork
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons capers
20 Greek olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
½ - 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, depending on individual taste.

Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. At the end, add chopped basil leaves, if desired. They do not need to cook.
Then add noodles and toss lightly. Pour into serving dish and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
If using rice, first spoon rice into a large bowl and then pour sauce over the top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Add parsley for garnish.

This will be a favorite for family and friends alike. It is easy to prepare in no time at all and delicious to eat. So enjoy your wheat-free Italian dinner!