Rice Cakes
Puttanesca

For the sauce (makes 1 quart)

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 cup olives, sliced (Gaeta, Cerignola, and oil-cured black)
• 3 tablespoons capers, drained (reserve the brine)
• 1/4 cup fire-roasted red peppers
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce (anchovy-based)
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 quart San Marzano tomatoes, hand-crushed
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano

To finish

• 1 cup rice cakes (no luck finding them? gnocchi, bucatini, or cavatelli step right in)
• 1 cup puttanesca sauce
• 1/2 cup diced fresh tomato
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan
• 1 teaspoon toasted breadcrumbs
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Method

1. Start the garlic. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low. Add the garlic and cook about 1 minute, until fragrant. Do not let it brown.
2. Build the base. Add the olives and stew a couple of minutes. Stir in the capers and roasted peppers and cook 2 minutes to bloom.
3. Simmer the sauce. Add the tomatoes, caper brine, fish sauce, and oregano. Simmer gently, uncovered, 15 minutes, stirring often.
4. Blanch the rice cakes. Drop them into boiling water about 5 minutes, until they float for a minute or two.
5. Marry them. Simmer 1 cup of sauce with the rice cakes, 3 to 5 minutes, so the sauce soaks into the pasta and vice versa.
6. Finish off the heat. Stir in the butter, parsley, and diced tomato. Go easy on salt. The capers and olives do the work. Add pepper.
7. Garnish and serve. Top with the Parmesan and toasted breadcrumbs.