Puttanesca

Translated literally as 'the whore's way', spaghetti alla puttanesca is a dish full of salty and spicy goodness.  A classic store cupboard dinner, it requires very little effort to make.  Anchovies, capers, garlic, chilli and black olives - all such robust flavours in themselves - combine together perfectly in the tomato sauce.  It's the ideal thing to eat when feeling a little ropey.  Whether self-inflicted or just a little rundown, this has become one of the dishes we crave the most.

After a recent night of drinking, dancing, bruising, phone losing (and finding) we reassured ourselves the next day with a big bowl of puttanesca topped with parsley and mounds of parmesan.

In the past we have been tempted to substitute the black tinned olives with other, more expensive and tastier olives, however we've found the tinned ones to still be the best.  They don't overpower the dish and really absorb all the over flavours, holding the sauce in their stoned middle.  A very satisfying mouthful.

Fed 4 (2 dinners and 2 packed lunches): Approx. 65p per person, per meal.

Ingredients:

1 tin anchovy fillets 79p

1 tin pitted black olives 95p

2 cartons chopped tomatoes 84p

Total: £2.58

Store Cupboard:

2 large cloves of garlic

400g dried spaghetti

1 tbsp dried chilli flakes

1 heaped tbsp capers

Small handful of parsley

Parmesan

Olive oil

-  Finely chop the garlic.

-  Add garlic, chilli, capers and anchovies to a large heavy bottomed pan with some olive oil (we use the olive oil from the tinned anchovies plus a little extra.)

-  Drain and rinse olives – they can be very salty and briny otherwise. 

-  Gently fry whilst stirring – the anchovies should start to break apart as they cook.  After a couple of minutes add the olives.

-  Stir in both cartons of chopped tomatoes and leave to simmer and reduce.

-  Boil spaghetti in separate pan.

-  Once spaghetti is cooked, drain, add to the sauce and stir through.

-  Divide into bowls and top with grated parmesan, chopped parsley and black pepper.