Pasta alla Puttanesca

By John, 18 December, 2020
Region
Italy
Description

Pasta alla PuttanescaThis well-known favorite dates back less than a hundred years. It was invented on the Neapolitan island of Ischia in the 1950s by a creative host who had hungry guests and little in the icebox to work with.

In Italian, "puttanesca" means something like "trashy", and it can be applied to prostitutes and to pasta preparations. In this case the inventive chef gave his dish a provocative name that reflected its scrounged origins and delighted his guests!

Yield
4 Servings
Preparation time
15 minutes
Ingredients
1 lb Pasta
4 oz Olive oil
2 clv Garlic (crushed)
2 Anchovies
2 T Capers (rinsed)
20 Black Olives (pitted and sliced)
1 Dried Chili Pepper
12 Cherry Tomatoes (halved)
2 oz Parsley sprig (chopped)
Instructions
  1. Put the pasta water on to boil.
  2. Fry the crushed garlic in the oil until lightly browned, then remove it and "melt" the anchovies into the oil by mashing them and stirring them around.
  3. Remove the pan from the heat and add the pitted olives, capers and chili. Return to the heat for 30 seconds, and add the halved cherry tomatoes. Cook over high heat for about 6-7 minutes.
  4. Cook the pasta. Transfer it, still dripping with cooking water, with the help of a fork, directly into the pan with the sauce.
  5. Sauté quickly stirring with the chopped fresh parsley from 1 sprig.
  6. Serve with a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley from the second sprig.
Notes
Lucian Pignataro, from whom I got this recipe and its history, say "The pasta must be sciuliarella (well lubricated and seasoned".
Source
https://www.lucianopignataro.it/a/vermicelli-alla-puttanesca-storia-ischitana-di-una-ricetta-di-grande-successo/11230/