Pasta alla Puttanesca (Italian Lazio Anchovies, Olives, Capers and Tomatoes)

Puttanesca, in this usage, puttanata is an Italian noun meaning something worthless. It derives from the Italian word for whore, puttana. The sauce alone is called sugo alla puttanesca in Italian. The famed puttanesca sauce is traditionally made with tomatoes, black olives, capers, salt-cured anchovies, and garlic. Sometimes a little peperoncino chili pepper is added to the equation. However, even these few simple ingredients seem to be interchangeable; unlike the Neapolitan puttanesca, the one from Lazio includes anchovies, and some recipes exclude the pepperoncino or add oregano. And although it all depends on the personal taste of the chef, the gentle heat of peperoncino and garlic is nicely balanced out by the flavours of salted anchovies, capers, and olives.

Even though puttanesca was said to have been created in the 1950s, a study commissioned by the Union of Italian Pasta Makers found that the dish only began to gain popularity during the 1960s. The earliest mention of pasta alla puttanesca was found in Raffaele La Capria’s 1961 novel The Mortal Wound. In February of 2005, Annarita Cuomo published an article in Ischia's daily newspaper Il Golfo, calling puttanesca "the child of Sandro Petti’s culinary flair". Reportedly, sugo alla puttanesca was invented by Ischian jet-setter Petti at his Rancio Fellone restaurant. One night, just before closing time, some of his friends barged in, begging him to fix them a quick meal. To indulge their plea, Petti cooked some pasta and tossed it with a sauce he made with the only ingredients he had left in the pantry: four tomatoes, some capers and olives.

Published by the Italian Academy of Cuisine, this is considered to be the go-to recipe for the puttanesca sauce. Traditionally, the sauce is served with spaghetti, although it also goes well with other pasta varieties such as bucatini, linguine, vermicelli, and even penne.

Pasta:
1 lb long pasta, such as; spaghetti, fettucine, linguine or bucatini (450 g)
4 Tbsp. kosher salt

Sauce:
1 lb tomatoes purée (450 g)
2 oz anchovies (55 g)
3 cloves garlic
5 oz black olives, pitted (140 g)
2 Tbsp. capers
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
½ glass white wine
1 Tbsp. dried oregano

Garnish:
1 Tbsp. Pecorino Romano, freshly grated

Peel and crush the cloves of garlic, then sauté them in the olive oil until pale golden. Add the anchovies and stir-fry them for a couple of minutes, then raise the flame and baste with white wine. Stir-fry the sauce until creamy.

After that, add the tomato purée and oregano, and cook 15 minutes over low heat. Add the capers and olives, and cook for 5 minutes more.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and cook the spaghetti al dente, meaning tender but still firm to bite. Drain them; return to the same pot.

Add sauce to pasta, tossing everything together over low heat until sauce coats the pasta, for about 3 minutes. Garnish with freshly grated Pecorino Romano and serve hot.

Makes 4 servings.

Cooking Notes:

Tomatoes: Even though puttanesca can't really be called a tomato-based sauce, they appear to be the backbone of this flavorful dish. Unless simmered long and slow, avoid fresh tomatoes, and use either puréed tomatoes or passata which provide enough flavor and texture.

Peperoncino: Most recipe versions of this dish also include peperoncino or Italian chili pepper. When you don't have fresh at hand, you can use dried chili, either crumbled whole peppers, or chili flakes. However, using the dried variety will give a more fiercer heat to the sauce.

Anchovies: If you have a mortar and pestle, mash together the garlic and anchovies with salt to a smooth paste. This, as well as melting anchovies into the sauce, adds to the rich savoriness of the puttanesca sauce.

Pasta: Traditionally, the sauce is served with spaghetti, although it also goes well with other pasta varieties such as bucatini, linguine, vermicelli, and even penne.