Pasta puttanesca: the lightweight version for walkers

DifficultyBeginner

This classic Italian dish smells amazing and tastes even better, especially round the campfire. The sauce is a rich blend of tomato, garlic, olives, anchovies and capers. This recipe uses powdered tomato to save weight and space in your backpack.

Yields2 Servings
Prep Time5 minsCook Time45 minsTotal Time50 mins

Summary
 440 g total weight dry ingredients
 1 l total volume dry ingredients (approx.)
Water and fuel
 350 ml water for pasta sauce
 800 ml water to cook pasta
Ingredients
 2 tbsp olive oil
 2 cloves of garlic
 2 anchovy fillets
 ½ cup black olives, pitted
 1 tbsp capers
 ¼ tsp chilli flakes
 250 g pasta
 ½ tbsp salt (for pasta water)
 1 tbsp finely grated parmesan cheese
 ¼ cup tomato powderSee alternative option below if you can't find this ingredient
Alternative option (if you can't get tomato powder)
 ½ cup tomato paste (triple concentrate)You can use tomato paste instead of tomato powder. It's a bit heavier, but the results will be the same. Use a bit less water in your pasta sauce.

Packing before your hike
1

Put the tomato powder, pasta, salt and parmesan cheese in separate bags.
Put the olives, anchovies and capers in separate freezer bags, tied with a tight knot to prevent any leakage. If you're using tomato paste rather than tomato powder, buy sachets or double-bag the paste.
Then pack everything into a large bag to keep it all together.

Ingredients for pasta puttanesca in separate bags, ready to go in your backpack. Photo: A Hutchings

Before cooking
2

Peel and finely chop garlic. Roughly chop anchovies, olives and capers.

Chopped garlic, capers, anchovies and olives on a hiker's cutting mat. Photo: A Hutchings

Cooking
3

Heat two-thirds of the olive oil on medium heat. Add garlic and anchovies and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Garlic and anchovies frying in olive oil on a camping stove. Photo: A Hutchings

4

Check ingredients to see how much water you need for the pasta sauce. Add olives, capers, tomato powder (or tomato paste) and water. Add chilli flakes, if everyone in your group likes chilli. Otherwise, people can add chilli to taste at the end.
Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Note: If you have the luxury of two burners, you can also start cooking your pasta at this point - see next step.

Tomato powder, water, olives and capers added to garlic and anchovie mixture, simmering on camping stove. Photo: A Hutchings

5

Check ingredients to see how much water you need to cook the pasta Add this water to a pan with salt, and bring water to the boil. Add pasta and cook until tender but not mushy.

Pasta cooking in salted water on camp stove. Photo: A Hutchings

6

Drain pasta and stir in sauce with remaining third of the oil.

Pasta puttanesca in camping bowl. Photo: A Hutchings

7

Divide among bowls and serve with Parmesan cheese.

Pasta puttanesca in camping bowl. Photo: A Hutchings

Ingredients

Summary
 440 g total weight dry ingredients
 1 l total volume dry ingredients (approx.)
Water and fuel
 350 ml water for pasta sauce
 800 ml water to cook pasta
Ingredients
 2 tbsp olive oil
 2 cloves of garlic
 2 anchovy fillets
 ½ cup black olives, pitted
 1 tbsp capers
 ¼ tsp chilli flakes
 250 g pasta
 ½ tbsp salt (for pasta water)
 1 tbsp finely grated parmesan cheese
 ¼ cup tomato powderSee alternative option below if you can't find this ingredient
Alternative option (if you can't get tomato powder)
 ½ cup tomato paste (triple concentrate)You can use tomato paste instead of tomato powder. It's a bit heavier, but the results will be the same. Use a bit less water in your pasta sauce.

Directions

Packing before your hike
1

Put the tomato powder, pasta, salt and parmesan cheese in separate bags.
Put the olives, anchovies and capers in separate freezer bags, tied with a tight knot to prevent any leakage. If you're using tomato paste rather than tomato powder, buy sachets or double-bag the paste.
Then pack everything into a large bag to keep it all together.

Ingredients for pasta puttanesca in separate bags, ready to go in your backpack. Photo: A Hutchings

Before cooking
2

Peel and finely chop garlic. Roughly chop anchovies, olives and capers.

Chopped garlic, capers, anchovies and olives on a hiker's cutting mat. Photo: A Hutchings

Cooking
3

Heat two-thirds of the olive oil on medium heat. Add garlic and anchovies and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Garlic and anchovies frying in olive oil on a camping stove. Photo: A Hutchings

4

Check ingredients to see how much water you need for the pasta sauce. Add olives, capers, tomato powder (or tomato paste) and water. Add chilli flakes, if everyone in your group likes chilli. Otherwise, people can add chilli to taste at the end.
Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Note: If you have the luxury of two burners, you can also start cooking your pasta at this point - see next step.

Tomato powder, water, olives and capers added to garlic and anchovie mixture, simmering on camping stove. Photo: A Hutchings

5

Check ingredients to see how much water you need to cook the pasta Add this water to a pan with salt, and bring water to the boil. Add pasta and cook until tender but not mushy.

Pasta cooking in salted water on camp stove. Photo: A Hutchings

6

Drain pasta and stir in sauce with remaining third of the oil.

Pasta puttanesca in camping bowl. Photo: A Hutchings

7

Divide among bowls and serve with Parmesan cheese.

Pasta puttanesca in camping bowl. Photo: A Hutchings

Notes

Pasta puttanesca: the lightweight version for walkers
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