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Pasta puttanesca with garlic and red onion focaccia

Preparation time
1-2 hours

Cooking time
10 to 30 mins

Serves
Serves 6

By Donal Skehan
From Saturday Kitchen

Ingredients

For the focaccia

  • 750g/1lb 10oz strong white flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 425ml/15fl oz lukewarm water
  • 7g sachet dried yeast
  • 4 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing
  • 4 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • handful pitted black olives

For the pasta puttanesca

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 3 anchovy fillets
  • 2 x 400g tins plum tomatoes, drained
  • 60g/2¼oz black olives, preferably oil-cured, pitted
  • 2 tbsp capers
  • pinch dried red chilli flakes
  • 450g/1lb linguine
  • small handful fresh parsley or basil, roughly chopped, to garnish
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. For the focaccia, put the flour and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Mix the lukewarm water with the yeast and 2 tablespoons oil in another bowl. Leave to stand for 10 minutes, then slowly combine the liquid with the flour until a dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 4–5 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Lightly oil a clean mixing bowl and place the dough in it. Cover and leave to prove for 45 minutes–1 hour, or until doubled in size. Punch down the dough and knead for a further 2–3 minutes.

  2. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.

  3. Halve the dough and shape each half into a flat rectangle, then put them on two lightly oiled baking trays. In a bowl, mix the garlic with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and spread over the dough. Make indents all over the dough with your thumb, then press in the onions and olives. Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until golden and firm.

  4. Meanwhile, make the pasta puttanesca. Warm 2 tablespoons oil in a frying pan over a medium–low heat. Add the garlic and anchovies and fry until the garlic is slightly golden. Crush the tomatoes with a fork or your hands and add to the pan. Stir in a pinch of black pepper and cook over a medium–high heat for 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes break down and create a sauce. Stir in the olives, capers and chilli flakes and simmer for 10 minutes.

  5. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Drain quickly, retaining a little of the cooking water, and toss the pasta and retained water with the sauce and remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper.

  6. To serve, place the pasta in the centre of a shallow bowl and garnish with parsley or basil. Enjoy with the focaccia.

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