Calabria-inspired Paccheri alla Puttanesca

This season, Dalla Fonte collaborated with Jenn Laprade of Italy in Your Kitchen to create a delicious Paccheri Pasta with Calabrian Tuna using ingredients from our Calabrian club box.

Jenn and I first connected on Instagram, sharing stories of our love for Italy. When we needed a partner to create a recipe for our Summer 2024 release celebrating the bold flavors of Calabria, we turned to Jenn to craft something everyone could make in their own kitchen.

When we shared the ingredients for our Summer Release, Jenn quickly got to work creating the perfect dish. Read on to learn more about Jenn and tackle your very own Paccheri alla Puttanesca featuring ingredients from our Celebrating Calabria collection. Puttanesca is a common dish in Southern Italy, featuring a sauce with olives, capers, and garlic. Jenn puts her own spin on this puttanesca, incorporating this season’s featured Citrus Calabrian Tuna and Le Ferre Hot Pepper-infused olive oil to complete this hearty, one-dish meal.

Paccheri alla Puttanesca with Calabrian Tuna created for Dalla Fonte’s Summer 2024 Release

Ingredients

• 1lb Allemandi Paccheri pasta
• 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 4 tablespoons Agostino Recca capers
• 1/2 c. kalamata olives, sliced lengthwise
• 1/2 c. green Castelvetrano olives, sliced lengthwise
• 2-16oz. can of Italian cherry tomatoes (or San Marzano)
• 1/2 tsp. Calabrian chili paste (or crushed red pepper)
• 1 jar of Citrus Tuna, drained
• Fresh ground pepper
• Chopped fresh parsley
• Chopped fresh basil
• Le Ferre Spicy EVOO for finishing

Directions

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook Paccheri as directed, reserving 1/2 c of the pasta water.
• Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the olive oil, smashed garlic cloves, olives, capers, and Calabrian chili paste.
• Add the cherry tomatoes with their juices and smash the tomatoes with the back of a fork.
• Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes.
• Add the pasta to the pan and toss everything together adding a few tablespoons of pasta water at a time until the pasta is cooked thoroughly and the sauce has thickened.
• Gently fold in the drained tuna.
• Season with fresh ground pepper and salt to taste (The olives and capers are salty so taste first before adding more!)
• Serve the pasta with a generous amount of fresh chopped parsley or basil and drizzle with a high-quality olive oil. We recommend the Le Ferre Chili Oil.

Meet Jenn, in her own words…

Ciao! Welcome to Italy in Your Kitchen, a collection of culinary delights where simplicity meets seasonality, and fresh herbs dance with minimal ingredients. As a self-taught home cook, my culinary journey has been enriched through the pages of cookbooks, culinary classes, and immersive dining experiences across the globe.

Creating my Instagram presence in 2022 was a personal endeavor to craft and share recipes that transcend generations, a legacy I aspire to pass down to my children. Through this digital platform, I’ve discovered joy in connecting with followers, exchanging recipes, culinary insights, and engaging in lively discussions.

My passion for Italian cuisine serves as a cornerstone of my culinary identity, rooted in fond memories of vibrant gatherings around tables with homemade pastas, and sauces that have been passed down through generations. Hailing from a bustling Italian-American family in Cleveland, Ohio, where celebrations were synonymous with communal feasts, I’ve carried this love for Italian cooking throughout my life. To me, Italian cooking is so much more than food: It represents thoughtful ingredients, time spent with family and friends, and making memorable dishes that make you feel good, inside and out. 

After pursuing higher education in business and marketing at UCF, my journey led me to the sun-kissed shores of Florida, where I currently reside. I married my husband in the picturesque town of San Gimignano, Italy (before it was overrun by tourists!). This enchanting town captivated my heart, igniting a lifelong love affair with its culture, landscapes, people, and of course, its cuisine. 

With each return visit to Italy, my connection deepened, culminating in the discovery of my father’s ancestral roots in the quaint village of Vallelunga, Sicily—a tale too extraordinary to recount in full here!

My yearly pilgrimages to Italy are not just culinary adventures but cherished opportunities to immerse myself in the essence of Italian life. And with dreams of owning a countryside villa, my journey through Italy is far from over. Join me as I continue to share the love of bringing Italy to my kitchen one recipe at a time. Grazie for being part of this delicious journey! ~Jenn Laprade, Founder of Italy in Your Kitchen