Spaghetti with Italian Sausage and Olives
A savory pasta sauce with Italian sausage, anchovies, olives and capers tossed with spaghetti for a bold, satisfying weeknight meal.
Equipment
- large deep skillet
- Large Pot
- Wooden Spoon or Spatula
- Colander
Ingredients
- 4 fillets anchovy fillets, drained and chopped plus 1 tablespoon oil from can
- 1 lb raw Italian sausage or chorizo casing removed
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with added purée
- 1 cup pitted green olives halved
- 1/4 cup capers drained
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 12 oz spaghetti or fettuccine
Instructions
- Heat the 1 tablespoon of oil reserved from the anchovy can in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the sausage (casing removed) and break it up with a spoon; cook, stirring often, until it begins to brown and crisp, about 7–10 minutes.
- Stir in the chopped anchovy fillets and chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, halved olives, drained capers, smoked paprika, and dried oregano; stir to combine.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook about 5 minutes to blend the flavors; taste and add salt and pepper only if needed, because anchovies, olives and capers can be very salty.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti or fettuccine until just tender but still firm to the bite (al dente). Drain the pasta.
- Divide the drained pasta among plates and top with the sausage and olive sauce; serve with grated Parmesan if desired.
Notes
- Taste the sauce before adding salt because anchovies, olives and capers are salty.
- Use either Italian sausage or chorizo depending on the flavor you prefer.
- Reserve and use the oil from the anchovy can for added flavor.