The origins of this dish, translated as “whore’s pasta”, are commonly attributed to the working ladies of Naples looking for a quick and easy dinner. In his Naples at Table (1998), Arthur Schwartz shares several anecdotes that point to Neapolitan prostitutes as the creators of this dish, including one well-known nineteenth-century courtesan, Yvette “La Francese” (Yvette the French), a native of Provence, who created the dish to soothe her homesickness.
But Italians love to create these colorful histories without concerning themselves too much with the facts. Italian food historian and translator Jeremy Parzen suggests that this risqué history is unlikely: “the noun puttana and the adjective puttanesco are derived from the Italian putto, ‘boy.’ By the sixteenth-century (long before tomatoes and dried pasta were popular in Italian cuisine), the term puttanesco was already used in Italian to denote something belonging to a ‘lesser station in life,’ so to speak, ‘boyish’ or ‘girlish’ or even ‘whoreish,’” He continues: “the qualifier alla puttanesca refers to the fact that it is not a rich dish. In other words, it’s not a meat sauce or a sauce flavored with stock. It’s a dressing for pasta made savory by combining ‘humble’ ingredients (another related word, puttanata means ‘rubbish’ or ‘crap’ in Italian, as in the expression, non dire puttanate, ‘don’t talk crap,’ and has nothing to do with prostitutes).”
The birthplace of this sauce, sugo alla puttanesca, probably lies in the area of Naples and south along the Amalfi coast. Here the ingredients tomatoes, capers, olives, anchovies, and garlic are staples in the local cuisine. Dishes prepared with dried pasta and tomato-based sauces did not really become popular in Italy until the 1950s and 1960s. According to a study commissioned by the Italian Pasta-Makers Union, Pasta alla Puttanesca first came into fashion in Italy during the 1960s. As prostitution was outlawed in Italy in 1958, it likely originated elsewhere.
Whatever its origins, this is an easy and quick dinner prepared straight from your pantry. The perfect combination of sweet tomatoes and salty capers, anchovies and olives, with a bit of heat from the red pepper flakes. Enjoy with a bottle of Aglianico, a great red wine from the Italian region Campania, home to Naples and the Amalfi coast.
Pasta alla Puttanesca
Serves 4-6
6 whole fillets anchovies; salt-packed preferred
3 tbsp. large capers, salt-packed preferred
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 whole large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 whole 14-oz. can diced tomatoes
3⁄4 cup olives (3 ½ oz.), sliced
1⁄2–1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 sprig fresh oregano
Kosher salt
1 lb. dried linguine
Italian parsley, coarsely chopped for garnish
If using salt-packed anchovies and/or capers, rinse and soak in water for 15 minutes. Remove and rinse again. Remove bones from whole anchovies if using. This is still a great recipe even if only oil-packed anchovies and brine-packed capers are available. Coarsely chop the anchovies.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When shimmering, add the garlic and anchovies and cook until fragrant but not browned, 30 seconds. Stir in the canned tomatoes, olives, capers, red pepper flakes, and oregano; bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low. Cook until reduced slightly, 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat.
Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Salt the water well; you want it to taste salty. Add the linguine and cook until just barely al dente, 8-9 minutes. Drain, reserving some of the pasta cooking water. Return the sauce to medium heat, then add the pasta to the skillet. Add a bit of the pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce if you think it needs it. Toss to coat, stirring to finish cooking the pasta, 2-3 minutes.
Transfer to a large serving bowl or individual serving dishes if desired. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve immediately. Grated cheese is an option, but the combination of fish and cheese is often frowned upon in Italy.
