Pasta Puttanesca

When Pasta Puttanesca first became popular, recipes were often published with an explanation of the name deriving from the Italian “puttana”. The direct reference was to its translation as “ladies of the night” and the indirect references were to the dish’s quick preparation time and tangy flavors.

 

Recently I came across another explanation for the origin of this dish which credits a restaurateur on the island of Ischia with creating this late night meal for friends from a few ingredients on his practically bare pantry shelves. "Facci una puttanata qualsiasi" they had insisted, which translates loosely as “make any kind of garbage”.

 

So the moral of the story is twofold: always translate in context, and keep your pantry stocked with canned tomatoes, olives, capers and pasta.

 

SERVES 4

 

Ingredients:

1 pound pasta; spaghetti is a good choice

 

4 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

 

1 28 ounce can tomatoes, chopped, or 3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes

2 teaspoons dried or 2 tablespoons fresh basil

10 Kalamata olives, pitted and cut in half

1 tablespoon capers

¼ teaspoon anchovy paste

A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

 

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

 

. . . . . . . .

 

Instructions: 

▪ Fill a large pot with 4 quarts of cold water, cover it and bring to a full boil.

 

▪ Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan on low heat and add the garlic, stirring occasionally for about 3 minutes without letting it brown.

 

▪ Add the tomatoes, basil, olives, capers, anchovy paste and red pepper flakes and continue to cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, while you cook the pasta.

 

▪ Add salt to taste to the boiling water. Add the pasta all at once, stir it to get it uniformly cooking, and set a timer for the recommended time on the package. A minute or so before the end time taste a piece of pasta for doneness. You’re looking for just a bit of resistance as you bite into it; not too hard and not too soft, but “al dente” or “to the tooth”.

 

▪ When the pasta is done, drain it and then return the pasta to the empty but warm pot, add the sauce, and toss it to combine it with the pasta. Transfer the pasta and sauce to a serving dish, garnish with the parsley and serve.