First, prepare the sauce. In a large nonstick saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium. Add in the minced garlic cloves, and cook, stirring often, for about 1 minute. Garlic burns very quickly!

Add in the diced tomatoes, black olives, and capers and stir to combine.

Season the vegetables with garlic powder and some salt and red pepper flakes.

Cook for 3-5 minutes, until the tomatoes start to break down and release their liquids.

Add in the canned tomato sauce, followed by about ½ a can's worth of water (this helps compensate for the liquid that will evaporate as the sauce cooks down). Add a small pinch of sugar, and stir to combine.

Cover the sauce, lower heat, and allow to simmer for at least 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, the sauce should be thickened and silky.

When the sauce is done, time to cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt, and cook pasta according to package directions.

Drain the spaghetti, and add to the puttanesca sauce, tossing to combine.

Serve immediately with fresh parsley and nutritional yeast (or parmesan cheese) on top!