Conchiglie Puttanesca (Based On Sopranos' Family Cookbook) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

6 quarts water
salt, if desired (See Notes below)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, drained (I used No Salt Added)
1 tablespoon fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 lb conchiglie (medium shells pasta)
12 -15 black olives, oil-cured, pitted, halved lengthwise
1/4 cup capers, rinsed well
8 -12 anchovy fillets, drained, chopped (I used all 12 in the flat can)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (See Notes)

Preparation

Heat 6 quarts of water to boiling. Add salt to water, if desired.
In the meantime, in a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until golden, being very careful not to overcook it.
Add tomatoes, oregano, basil, thyme, and salt (if desired). Simmer for 15 minutes or until sauce thickens somewhat.
Once water is boiling, add conchiglie and cook until \"al dente\" or according to package directions, draining well (See Notes).
Add olives, capers, and anchovies to sauce. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in red pepper flakes.
If serving immediately, add drained conchiglie to sauce, toss until pasta is well coated, and serve.
NOTES: I omitted the added salt because the olives, anchovies, and rinsed capers made it plenty salty! For a spicier flavor, either increase red pepper flakes or add to sauce with olives, capers, and anchovies as cooking longer will increase the heat.
If you want to serve the puttanesca later, allow it to cool. Rinse and drain the pasta well. Then, add the puttanesca and pasta to the Crock-Pot. Mine stayed moist and warm for the 2 hours I warmed it.