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Puttanesca is one of my favorite and easiest weeknight dishes. It's a perfect dish - it basically requires a saucepan, and limited prep time.

It's somewhat of an Italian pasta dish (not entirely traditional) whose name has to do with hookers - something about a dish fit for a whore. There are other liberties taken with the interpretation. I'm not too interested. Back to food. Make it with garlic, tomatoes, kalamata olives, capers, anchovies, and crushed red pepper. It takes no more than 10 minutes to prepare, and has no fancy ingredients. I keep all these ingredients as pantry staples, and usually stock up at the store, so I have the items ready when I'm in a pinch for dinner. It's a basic tomato sauce with some acidity and spice. Just make sure that you have about an hour to let it simmer. No supervision is necessary during the simmering, you can stir occasionally if you're able. Just note that it's exponentially tastier when it has the chance to cook together for an hour (and it's always better the next day too).

All you need is a 2 oz can of anchovies, 4-6 garlic cloves, a +/- 32 oz can of crushed tomatoes, a +/-16 oz can of tomato sauce, a jar of capers, a jar of pitted/halved kalamata olives, crushed red pepper, and penne pasta (a light wheat version is excellent, or white also works - the sauce can hold up to wheat). This is all fluid - use what you have, that's the beauty of the dish. These are just my favorite components of the dish, and the way my mom and aunt used to make it. If you're worried about anchovies, don't worry - you can't taste it (a kin to fish sauce in Asian food). It just adds depth of flavor.

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat, and add the garlic and anchovies. As they soften, crush them together to form a rough paste with the back of a wooden spoon (I've started using a mortar and pestle to do make the paste before adding it - this is just easier for me, but does not affect taste). Once the garlic and anchovies cook together for about 5 minutes, toss in the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce, capers, olives and about 1/2 of the brine (personal trick), and as little or as much crushed red pepper for your taste. Stir it all together, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer, uncovered, for about an hour.

Once it's simmered, generously spoon over penne pasta, serve with green salad. Delicious and satisfying. And easy!