Authentic Spaghetti alla Puttanesca!
If you speak or understand Italian you’ll know that Spaghetti alla Puttanesca literally means prostitute’s spaghetti! ‘Puttana’ in Italian means prostitute or whore! However, despite the name, this is a very popular pasta recipe in Italy and abroad. Although, out of Italy, many recipes include other ingredients which often has Italians up in arms!
Alla Puttanesca: Whore’s spaghetti! How it got its name!
Like so many other Italian dishes there are various opinions on how this pasta dish got its name! Some believe that it was a dish made by a brothel owner in the Spanish quarter (red light district) of Naples. Although it's not clear, if he offered it to his patrons or used it to entice customers through the door with the spicy, pungent aroma produced by its ingredients.
Others believe that this was the easiest thing prostitutes could prepare between customers because the low cost, easily stored ingredients required little shopping or preparation.
More believable, perhaps, is the story that this very popular sauce originated in Ischia around 1950. It was created by Sandro Petti, the co-owner of the restaurant, Rangio Felon. The story goes that some customers arrived late to eat and because the restaurant had run out of many fresh ingredients, they asked Petti to prepare ‘una puttanata qualsiasi’, which literally translates as ‘a whore’s any’ but means any rubbish/ garbage.
So, Petti created a dish with what he had, or rather had left, in the kitchen. The resulting pasta dish was liked so much by the customers that Petti put it on the restaurant menu calling it ‘spaghetti all puttanesca’.
The two main Italian versions of Puttanesca
Whatever its origins, puttanesca is a very popular pasta dish. The original Neapolitan ingredients are simple but flavourful; fresh peeled tomatoes, capers, black olives, garlic, oregano and sometimes peperoncino. The original recipe from Naples, the capital of Campania, doesn’t actually include anchovies.
That version, apparently, comes from Lazio where they replace the oregano with parsley and anchovies and sometimes use green instead of black olives. Both recipes are simple to make and very tasty.
Two rules for authentic Puttanesca
Italians love to talk about food and they are very vocal when it comes to discussing the correct ingredients for traditional dishes. Because there are regional versions of many popular dishes, they can often be heard disputing among themselves what is the correct way to cook something! However, when it comes to Puttanesca there are a couple of strict rules Italians all agree on. No Parmigiano cheese if you make it with anchovies (Italians don’t usually use cheese on seafood pasta dishes) and no basil!
Authentic or not authentic that is the question!
I recently came across a recipe on Jamie Oliver’s website for puttanesca. Jamie’s version comes from Gennarro Contaldo, a well-known Italian chef who has lived and worked in UK since 1969. This recipe is quite different from those found and eaten in Italy. It includes basil and Parmigiano and has no capers!
I spent an amusing few minutes reading the comment section under the recipe in which a number of outraged Italians had stated their total disagreement to the recipe, especially since Jamie Oliver captioned it as being authentic!
To caper or not to caper?
The recipe here is the one from Lazio, as I love the taste of anchovies! However, capers are a must and to caper or not to caper isn’t a question of choice. If you are planning to make ‘authentic’ puttanesca, it has capers! For the Italians, if it doesn’t have capers, it isn’t puttanesca. So, it needs to be called something else!
Authentic alla puttanesca always has capers!
Of course, you should make it the way that suits your tastes. Ingredient quantities aren't rigid. It's still delicious if you use less or more of something. Without anchovies, it would be more like the Neapolitan version and then you might want to add some oregano!
If you do try this spaghetti alla puttanesca recipe, I’d love to hear what you think. Please write a comment here on the blog or post a comment on the Pasta Project Facebook page.
Your feedback means a lot to me!
Buon appetito!
(This recipe was originally published in March 2018 but has been updated with new photos and text)
Other must-try classic pasta recipes from Lazio
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Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
Ingredients
- 400 g spaghetti (14oz) I used spaghetti made by Rummo.
- 3-4 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3-4 garlic cloves thinly sliced or finely chopped
- 6 to 8 anchovy fillets finely chopped (Italians prefer salted anchovies but you can also use those in oil)
- 1 teaspoon Peperoncino flakes or 1- ½ a chopped peperoncino (Italian red chilli pepper)
- 1 tablespoon capers drained and chopped. (Italians also prefer salted capers. If you use these rinse them under water before using them)
- 100 g pitted black or green olives (3.5oz) I used taggiasca olives
- 400 g Fresh sauce tomatoes (San Marzano or datterini) (140z) peeled, deseeded and chopped.
- 1 handful fresh parsley leaves chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper.
- Salt for pasta and to taste
Instructions
- Start boiling water for the spaghetti. Add salt once it starts to boil and bring to the boil again.
- Meanwhile prepare the ingredients. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Peel, de-seed and chop the tomatoes. If anchovies and capers are salted rinse them under cold water. Then cut anchovies into small pieces. If they are large, remove the spine. Remove the seeds from the red chili pepper (if you are using it) and cut into small pieces.
- Heat some olive oil in a frying pan large enough to hold the cooked pasta later. Add the garlic, anchovies, and red pepper flakes (peperoncino).
- Cook over a medium heat until garlic is very lightly golden and the anchovies have melted, about 5 minutes. (Adjust heat as necessary to keep it gently sizzling.)
- Add capers, a bit of parsley and olives and stir to combine.
- Add the peeled and chopped tomatoes, stir and bring to a bare simmer.
- Cook pasta to just under al dente (about 1 minute less than the package recommends).
- Drain pasta reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.
- Add drained pasta to the sauce.
- Add a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water and increase the heat to bring the pasta and sauce to a vigorous simmer.
- Cook, stirring and shaking the pan and adding more pasta water as necessary to keep sauce a little liquidy until pasta is perfectly al dente.
- Sprinkle with some more parsley.
- Season with salt and pepper as required.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
The quantity of the individual ingredients can be altered depending on one's taste. Some people prefer less olives, capers or anchovies.
Nutrition
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If you are interested in learning how to make homemade pasta and different types of gnocchi, check out my shop page for some great video online courses from my friends in Rome! Nothing beats learning to make pasta from Italians! Plus while you’re there why not order a copy of my autumn/winter pasta recipes cookbook!?
Lesli Schwartz says
Definitely going to try this recipe! I just love authentic Italian dishes, especially when it includes anchovies! YES!
Linda says
What an interesting history and now I know why it's called that way. Love this pasta and the combination, especially with capers.
Amanda says
I love the salty, briny flavor the anchovies and capers give this dish! It really makes this pasta special. Thanks so much for sharing!
Kelly Anthony says
I'm loving all the strong flavors in this spaghetti alla puttanesca especially the olives, capers and anchovies. Yum!
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says
I'm totally on #TeamCapers in my puttanesca! It's the way I was taught to make it and, to have it without just seems...wrong, I loved this post so much as I love how you educate while tantilizing our tastebuds!
Jere Cassidy says
Thanks for including the stories on naming rights. As always your pasta dishes look amazing and yeah to the capers.
Veena Azmanov says
I love making such amazing Dinner options for family. They relish every bit of it. Thanks
Stine Mari says
No matter how it got its name it is really funny to think about! And it doesn't look like garbage at all, all those flavors sound so delicious together!
Raul says
Questa è una ricetta meravigliosa. Ingredienti semplici, ma allo stesso tempo una meravigliosa complessità di sapori. Un perfetto esempio del vecchio detto che "less is more". Auguri.
Camila says
Pasta a lá puttanesca has got to be one of my favorites. You have really made me crave for it now!
admin says
Thanks Camila, it's one of my favourites too! Every time I make it I wonder why I don't do it more often! So good! Regards from Verona! Jacqui
Samantha H. says
I love the story of this dish! I’ve never actually tried it before though, so I’m excited to go out of my spaghetti comfort zone and give it a try!
admin says
Grazie Samantha! Yes, lots of Italian dishes have interesting origins, some dating back to ancient times! I love including these stories in my posts. I'm sure you'd love puttanesca! I hope you do give it a try! All the best from Verona! Jacqui
Anna says
Ha ha! I love your explanation of what Spaghetti alla Puttanesca means. Even more amusing is that the reason I love this recipe is for the very same reasons you mention - it is cost effective, uses pantry ingredients and needs little shopping or preparation.
admin says
Thanks Anna! I love these anecdotes about the origins of Italian dishes and enjoy including them in my posts! Yes puttanesca is a fab dish because you can produce a super tasty meal with pantry ingredients and little time or cost! Greetings from Verona! Jacqui
sondria Harp says
I didn't know that there was such a controversy over this dish, but now I know! Capers all the way, plus I love capers so you don't have to twist my arm to include them. Can't wait to make this !
admin says
Thanks so much Sondria! I love capers too and include them in lots of recipes! Enjoy your puttanesca! Love from Verona! Jacqui
Lisa says
I love capers! My friend just made me a dish with them and I couldn't believe how good they are! This looks yummy! I'll have to give it a try!
Beth says
I love the learning about the origins of old recipes! This is a great story! You Italians have such colorful names for your dishes! This looks simply delicious!
admin says
Thanks so much Beth! Yes I love learning about the origins of recipes too and enjoy sharing the stories in my posts! I think in my next life I want to be a food historian! Hugs from Verona! Jacqui
melve says
I love to try this Mediterranean flavors of spaghetti for a change. Looks delicious and yummy.
admin says
Thanks so much Melve! Yes puttanesca is really a recipe of Mediterranean flavours. I'm sure you'll love it if you try it! All the best from Verona! Jacqui
Stephanie says
This looks so yummy! It reminds me of A Series of Unfortunate Events where the kids make Pasta Puttanesca 🙂 Now I can make it at home!
admin says
Thanks Stephanie I have yet to watch that series. It's on my to-watch list! I'll look out for the puttanesca episode! Enjoy your puttanesca at home! Love from Verona! Jacqui
kita says
Stephanie, I just heard this story and totally know exactly the scene youre talking about ;D great reference.
As for this recipe, it sounds wonderful. I have never made a puttanesca sauce (and even as I say this I can hear the voice actor describing it from the audio book), but now I doubly want to make it!
Ali Hanson says
Puttanesca is one of my favorite flavor combinations. I make an egg salad with all of these flavors and love it!
admin says
Egg salad with puttanesca ingredients sound delish. I'll have to give it a try Ali! Greetings from Verona. Jacqui
Mimi says
I’ve enjoyed many a pasta dish during my long life, but I think puttanesca is my favorite. It’s the olives, tomatoes, and capers that win my taste buds over! And I just found some salted capers finally, and I think I’ll make puttanesca soon!
admin says
Grazie Mimi, Yes Puttanesca is a favourite of mine too. It's so Mediterranean! Love the flavours! Enjoy your puttanesca and Happy Easter! Jacqui
In Cucina con Mamma Agnese says
Questa ricetta di pasta mi piace un sacco!!
La propongo spesso!!
admin says
Anche a me! Ho visto il tuo blog. Hai delle belle ricette! Grazie per aver visitato il mio blog. Salute Jacqui