Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

Directions

1. Open the anchovy fillets and remove bone and wash under running water. Pat dry with kitchen paper towel.
2. Drain the capers and chop them. Set aside. If using capers in salt, put them in a bowl of fresh water and let unsalt for 15 minutes. Wash and dry them and chop.
3. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. If you prefer to use big tomatoes, blanch them and cut in quarters and then in small pieces. Put in a colander and set aside.
4. In a large skillet, over moderate heat, add the olive oil, the onion and the chili flakes and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Remove the skillet from the heat, let cool slightly and add the garlic and the anchovy fillets and stir well to dissolve the anchovies. Skip this step if you don't want to add anchovies.
6. Put the skillet back on the heat and add the tomato pieces. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
7. In a large pot, bring water with salt to a boil and cook the spaghetti al dente.
8. Add the black olives (without the stone) to the skillet, the chopped capers and let simmer for a few minutes. Add the drained spaghetti, mix carefully and if you need add a laddle of pasta cooking water. Check for salt (both the anchovies and the capers have quite a strong taste and you should only add salt at this point).
9. Serve hot with parsley sprinkled over.