Pasta Alla Porters
Originally published January 15, 2013. Updated on 9/10/2021
Need a quick meal? Here’s my recipe “Pasta Alla Porters”, our lazy, scaled-back bastardization (pastardization?) of Pasta Alla Puttanesca!
"Gourmet" cooking with a lot of effort can be fun and rewarding at times, but sometimes... you just want a really quick, fairly effortless pasta sauce - like "Pasta Alla Porters"!
I’m all for making pasta sauce from scratch, when I have the time.
The thing is, I DON’T always have the time.
Sometimes, I just want to grab a jar of sauce from the pantry, spend a couple minutes to dress it up, and enjoy my meal in a reasonable amount of time.
Some day, I’ll write a post about all the different things I’ll do to improve a jar of store-bought sauce, but for now... let’s look at “Pasta alla Porters”!
This is our go-to pasta sauce for those lazy/busy days - it evolved from my old Puttanesca recipe, and became a wonderful sauce on its own merit.
Customizing Pasta Alla Porters
This recipe, as-is, is a great approximation of a middle ground for when I’m making this, as I will adjust based on what’s available, and what I’m in the mood for.
Sometimes I’ll use mushrooms, sometimes I won’t. When photographing this update, we didn’t have any mushrooms, so I skipped it.
Sometimes I’ll use regular pepperoni, sometimes a turkey version.
Sometimes I’ll throw in extra olives, sometimes I’ll skip the capers. Whatever!
Sometimes, I’ll double the amount of pepper flakes.
You do you!
Let Me Tell You About My Cheese Grater!
Slightly off topic, but really not - I need to sing the praises of my new-ish cheese grater, as pictured in the process shots.
For the longest time - probably a decade? - I’ve been using the same old generic metal cheese grater.
The handle was actually held together by some epoxy. It had split at some point - maybe some over enthusiastic cheese grating? I don’t know.
Anyway, I’d been too cheap / distracted / lazy to bother replacing it. It got the job done well enough, I guess, so it was never a priority.
Well, a little while ago, I was rushing through Canadian Tire, and saw a display of nice looking box cheese graters. It was this Kitchenaid Box Grater, and it was on sale.
I tossed one in the cart without a ton of thought, figuring it would HAVE to be better than what I had.
HOLY CRAP.
Seriously, I’d gotten it on sale for $10 - it’s regularly $30 CAD - but if I’d known what a difference it would make, I would have happily paid full retail AGES ago.
SO much sturdier, grates up so much easier, and just look at the big, luxurious shreds! Who knew that shredded mozzarella could look ... lush?
It’s wild.
So if you’re using one of those crappy graters that I was... treat yourself to a nice one.
I have no idea why my views on “nicer equipment is worth the price” never seemed to apply to box graters, but I’m kicking myself for so much time lost to my old one.
Learn from my mistake!
*Climbing down off my soap box*
My beloved new grater!
How to Make Pasta Alla Porters
Full recipe follows - at the end of this post - but here's a pictorial overview!
I like to have my herbs and spices pre-measured and ready to go
Saute onion and garlic in olive oil for 2 minutes.
Add mushrooms - if using - continue cooking until mushrooms are tender, and onions are translucent.
Add pepperoni and olives, continue cooking for another minute.
Add tomato sauce, capers, and herbs, and pepper flakes, stir well to combine.
Continue cooking until heated through, season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve over - or toss with - pasta of choice.
More Pasta Recipes
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Acorn Squash Tortellini with Nutmeg Cream Sauce
Antipasto Salad
Basic and Flavoured Pasta - Homemade!
Chocolate Dessert Ravioli
How to Make Store Bought Pasta Sauce Taste GOOD
Marie's Pasta Salad
Spinach Pine Nut Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce
Spanakopita Tortellini
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Pasta Alla Porters
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Small Onion Finely chopped
- 6 Garlic cloves Pressed or Minced
- 8 oz Sliced baby bella mushrooms optional
- 1 cup Pepperoni sliced chopped
- ⅓ cup Sliced black olives drained well
- 1 can Tomato pasta sauce of choice About 3 cups
- 2 tablespoon Capers Drained
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 2 teaspoon dried basil
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Saute onion and garlic in olive oil for 2 minutes.
- Add mushrooms - if using - continue cooking until mushrooms are tender, and onions are translucent.
- Add pepperoni and olives, continue cooking for another minute.
- Add tomato sauce, capers, and herbs, and pepper flakes, stir well to combine.
- Continue cooking until heated through, season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve over pasta of choice.
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