Pasta With Tomatoes, Capers, Olives and Breadcrumbs Recipe (2024)

Quick and tasty. I used panko instead of fresh crumbs. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water to help loosen the sauce, if needed, after tossing pasta with sauce.

I have made this many times since this recipe first ran in the Times in 2010. It is excellent. I have, however, never made with canned tomatoes. I make it in late summer and fall with fresh tomatoes.

Seemed like a straightforward receipe but watch out if you are a remedial level cook — there’s no time estimate for toasting the bread crumbs (they toast —and burn — really fast). Also, when it says put the pan and breadcrumbs aside and then later add tomatoes, there’s an implied step of taking out the breadcrumbs to asd them back in later. Maybe that is obvious to most people especially if you read the picture, but I ended up with a tomato/breadcrumb gloop.

Seems as if the phrasing of steps 1 and 2 is a ambiguous and that it's not the pan that's set aside at the end of step 1 but its contents, the garlic/breadcrumb mix. The emptied pan is then used to cook the ingredients of step 2.

If you eat meat, you could add sausage or serve it with something simple like pan-cooked chicken breasts. Or you could serve it with a salad that is bulked up with some feta cheese and/or boiled eggs.

I used Panko breadcrumbs and They were perfect. I also used a 28 oz can of San Marzano whole, peeled tomatoes and just broke them up with a wooden spoon while the sauce simmered. Also used kalmata black olives. I added a few ladels of pasta water to make the sauce a little more loose. I used basil instead of parsley-it came out great!! Would definitely recommend.

Very disappointing. I used only 8 oz. of spaghetti, 1/3rd less than the recipe calls for, so I thought a single 14 oz can of tomatoes would be enough. Not even close--very dry. Had to add a second 14 oz can, and now it tasted only of tomatoes. So in goes more garlic; more red pepper; more olives; and some pasta water to loosen it up. At least now it had some taste, but not necessarily a taste I liked. Ended up throwing it out. This is a recipe in need of some serious tuning up.

Amen never toss garlic

Instead of bread crumbs I used the NYT Smoky Quinoa Crumbs, with salt & garlic salt rather than paprika. Delicious recipe!

This is a great quick meal, even in my kitchen in a Global South country with very little tools, I was able to cook this.

So flavorful and simple! Not very saucy but that's what made it so yummy. The olive and garlic flavors are what stood out the most. I skipped the first step and just cooked all 3 garlic cloves because I would NEVER toss sauteed garlic (blasphemy!).Also, toasted some store bought breadcrumbs in a separate pan and tossed in as the last step.

I used some half-dried “antipasto” cherry tomatoes with olive oil and herbs that I picked up at Trader Joe’s instead of the chopped, canned ones. Cooked with other ingredients for about 5 minutes, then let it stand until the pasta was ready. So good!

28 oz worth of tomatoes a few fresh chopped ones mixed in right before serving, more olives, and keeping the garlic in the breadcrumbs makes this dish perfect

Added wine and tomato paste. Used 28 oz can of tomatoes

Yummy. I didn't think bread crumbs were worth it. Used 1/2 tsp pepper flakes. My capers are too small to chop.Followed recipe otherwise. Will make again.

This was delicious! I had cherry tomatoes so quartered them instead of canned tomatoes and also used panko bread crumbs. A beautiful dish. It wasn’t too dry for me but one could add some of the pasta water to make it creamier.

Absolutely delicious! I did add an anchovy with the garlic and the pepper flakes, and a few small tomatoes I had laying around - but otherwise followed the recipe. So so good!

What’s not to love when you have capers, olives and garlic in a tomato sauce. I doubled the sauce recipe as suggested. I also added a splash of red wine and some anchovy paste. Perhaps it became a dialed down puttanesca? Cooks mistake, over cooked the pasta just a tad. Getting used to an electric oven after years using gas. Temporary I hope!

Simple and delicious. Used Italian breadcrumbs and baked them in the oven.

Need way more tomatoes! There was no sauce with only one can. After only using the one can I added another 28 oz of whole tomatoes (it’s all I had but would do again) and cut with a spoon. I also ended up adding more capers and olives.

Absolutely delicious! We always observe meatless Monday and this recipe delivered. Used old brioche for the bread crumbs, and added a bit of the pasta water and white wine to loosen up the sauce. Served with a delicious kale caesar salad. This will be on repeat in our home. Thank you!

Tuna would be a good addition.

Lovely stuff- would use half pound pasta for that amount of sauce next time. Lol discard, how about in my mouth lol

Absolutely delicious! But I did add a little extra water, the sauce is very thick. There was enough sauce to coat the pasta, I cooked 3/4 lb orecchiette.

Made for two so sort of riffed the recipe. I’ve been cooking for about 55 yrs. I added a handful of frozen baby peas just before the pasta. Also used a mix of Castleveltrano and kalamata Hubby approved. Easy and quick enough for us.

If you like a lot of olive flavor, this is a great recipe sans changes. My family not so much, so I doubled the tomatoes and garlic. Trust me—you can still taste the olives and capers. I used Pipe Rigate pasta. They look like snail shells and provide a hideout for the bits of olives, capers and tomatoes so each bite is heartier. I subbed basil for parsley since that’s what I had and served the meal with some crostini (with olive oil basil). Overall, quick, yummy and a crowd pleaser.

Dared to do it Down Under. Compliments and kisses from my experienced and successful Chef Boy son. Can’t top a win like that!

Dared to do it Down Under. Compliments and kisses from my experienced and successful Chef Boy son. Can’t beat wins like that.

Added a splash of balsamic vinegar for some brightness. And made this with panko bread crumbs, oregano, without discarding the garlic.