Rinse the olives and capers well. Better yet, let them soak in water for 30 minutes to remove excess salt and/or vinegar.
3 oz olives, 5 tbsp capers
Prepare the Ingredients
Roughly chop the olives.
Mince the garlic and red chili pepper.
2 cloves garlic, 1 whole fresh red chili pepper
Remove the seeds from the inside of whole peeled tomatoes. Mash or purée the tomato pulp until it is the consistency of crushed tomatoes.
14 oz whole peeled tomatoes
Mince the parsley.
1 handful flat leaf Italian parsley
Make a Soffritto
Cover the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil. Over medium heat, add the minced garlic, pepper and anchovy filets. Mash the anchovy filets with a fork or back of a spoon to help it dissolve into the oil. Sauté until the garlic is golden.NOTE: This photo is from the full-fat version of the recipe. You'll have less olive oil than shown here.
4 filets anchovies, 1 tbsp olive oil
Add the Tomato, Olives, Capers
Add the tomato sauce.
Stir in the capers and olives—leaving aside some of each for decorating the finished dish.
Simmer the sauce for a few minutes. Then salt to taste (only if needed). In the meantime...
fine salt
Cook the Pasta
Cook the pasta a minute less than the time required for al dente pasta on the package instructions.
8 oz pasta
Finish with Pasta and Parsley
Drain and transfer the pasta to the sauce along with ½ ladle of hot pasta water. Cook the pasta with the sauce for about a minute until the pasta is al dente.