Pasta Puttanesca

Sunday was lovely and lazy. I went to a big slumber party with all the girls in my belly dance troupe the night before and I woke up on the floor in a big pile of sleeping bags and pillows and sleeping girls. My hips definitely hurt, (no air mattress), but it was worth it. It felt like the morning after a big birthday party in middle school. We stayed up all night watching scary movies, playing board games, telling secrets and eating chips and treats and junk food. It was kind of like therapy, but way more fun. Also, wine.

Afterward, my best friend, Channa, and I went to eat cake! There are two things that make this even more awesome than it already is: 1. It was an audition cake for her wedding! (I am her Maid of Honor!) and 2. The cake-maker is my boyfriend Mark's sister! She is an amazing cook, like honestly the best food I've EVER eaten, homemade or restaurant. She made Channa a miniature red velvet cake with a butter cream frosting and it was amazing. She also had little hors d'ouevres of scrambled eggs and bacon with truffle butter on toast, as well as the most delicious gorgonzola cheese from the Co-op close by, as well as chorizo and black olive tapenade. Can't forget the champagne! I would've taken pictures, but I was too busy eating.

All that delicious food inspired me and after I got home for a little post-sleepover/post-champagne nappie, I drove back to town to buy some groceries. I tried my hand at Pasta Puttanesca!

Chopped black olives, diced tomatoes, fettuccine noodles, capers, tomato paste, garlic, anchovy filets and red pepper flakes.

I had found a few recipes online to act as a guide, but a lot of them called for less noodles than I wanted to make, so I had to add more for the sauce! Also, many of the recipes included shrimp or chicken, and while that did sound delicious, I wasn't feeling THAT ambitious. I ended up improvising most of the amounts: I know I wanted a lot of olives, so I more than doubled that, but I also wanted a more oily sauce, so I held back on the tomato paste. And .. it turned out delicious! There are some things I would change for next time, though. One would be to actually include a protein, like shrimp or chicken. The other would be to hold back on the red pepper flakes. So incredibly spicy! I usually don't mind that, but with it so hot outside (it was over 100 degrees on Sunday), I didn't necessarily want my meal to be so spicy! It was good, though. I got home from work tonight and saw that Mark had eaten all the leftovers, so it sounds like he liked it, too! I have tomorrow evening off, so maybe I'll make it again with my changes.

The recipe that I mainly followed was from AllRepices.com and you can find it here!