Puttanesca sauce was invented by Naples prostitutes in the 1960s—quick, loud, and made from pantry staples between clients.
Chickpeas in Puttanesca Sauce
Dive into a delightful chickpea creation that captures the bold flavors of traditional Neapolitan puttanesca! This vibrant dish combines hearty chickpeas with zesty tomatoes, briny olives, and a kick of garlic, making it an ideal choice for a quick and satisfying weeknight meal. Whip it up in no time and savor the taste of Italy right at your dinner table!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- ½ bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 x 400g tins plum tomatoes (0.07 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- 1 large jar chickpeas, drained and rinsed (preferably @boldbeanco)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve (30 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
🍯Sauces & Condiments(3)
- 80g baby capers, drained and roughly chopped (2.82 oz)
- 100g pitted Kalamata olives, drained and quartered (3.53 oz)
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar (or red wine) (15 ml)red wine
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Put the oil and onions into a large saucepan over a low heat. Season with salt and pepper, cover and cook for 10–15 minutes until soft, stirring occasionally so they don’t catch.
- 2
Add the garlic and cook for another 2–3 minutes.
- 3
Add the tomatoes, vinegar, chickpeas, olives and capers. Season again. Increase the heat and cook for about 15 minutes until the tomatoes have reduced slightly.
- 4
Serve topped with parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Cook onions at exactly 200-225°F (low heat) with lid on to create steam that breaks down cell walls without caramelization, ensuring they become translucent rather than brown.technique200-225°F
- ✓Add garlic only in the final 2-3 minutes of onion cooking because allicin compounds become bitter when exposed to heat longer than 3 minutes.timing2-3 minutes maximum
- ✓Use canned chickpeas liquid (aquafaba) instead of draining completely - reserve ¼ cup to add starch and protein that helps bind the sauce and reduces splitting.ingredient¼ cup aquafaba
- ✓Increase heat to medium-high (350-375°F pan surface) for the final 15 minutes to achieve 20-25% moisture reduction through evaporation, concentrating flavors.technique350-375°F, 20-25% reduction
- ✓Add capers in the last 5 minutes only because their delicate brine-cured flavor compounds break down with extended heat exposure above 300°F.timingLast 5 minutes, under 300°F
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Puttanesca sauce was invented by Naples prostitutes in the 1960s—quick, loud, and made from pantry staples between clients.
Chickpeas in Puttanesca Sauce
Dive into a delightful chickpea creation that captures the bold flavors of traditional Neapolitan puttanesca! This vibrant dish combines hearty chickpeas with zesty tomatoes, briny olives, and a kick of garlic, making it an ideal choice for a quick and satisfying weeknight meal. Whip it up in no time and savor the taste of Italy right at your dinner table!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- ½ bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 x 400g tins plum tomatoes (0.07 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- 1 large jar chickpeas, drained and rinsed (preferably @boldbeanco)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve (30 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
🍯Sauces & Condiments(3)
- 80g baby capers, drained and roughly chopped (2.82 oz)
- 100g pitted Kalamata olives, drained and quartered (3.53 oz)
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar (or red wine) (15 ml)red wine
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Put the oil and onions into a large saucepan over a low heat. Season with salt and pepper, cover and cook for 10–15 minutes until soft, stirring occasionally so they don’t catch.
- 2
Add the garlic and cook for another 2–3 minutes.
- 3
Add the tomatoes, vinegar, chickpeas, olives and capers. Season again. Increase the heat and cook for about 15 minutes until the tomatoes have reduced slightly.
- 4
Serve topped with parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Cook onions at exactly 200-225°F (low heat) with lid on to create steam that breaks down cell walls without caramelization, ensuring they become translucent rather than brown.technique200-225°F
- ✓Add garlic only in the final 2-3 minutes of onion cooking because allicin compounds become bitter when exposed to heat longer than 3 minutes.timing2-3 minutes maximum
- ✓Use canned chickpeas liquid (aquafaba) instead of draining completely - reserve ¼ cup to add starch and protein that helps bind the sauce and reduces splitting.ingredient¼ cup aquafaba
- ✓Increase heat to medium-high (350-375°F pan surface) for the final 15 minutes to achieve 20-25% moisture reduction through evaporation, concentrating flavors.technique350-375°F, 20-25% reduction
- ✓Add capers in the last 5 minutes only because their delicate brine-cured flavor compounds break down with extended heat exposure above 300°F.timingLast 5 minutes, under 300°F