Spaghetti alla puttanesca
 A plate of spaghetti alla puttanesca |
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| Origin | |
|---|---|
| Alternative name(s) | pasta alla puttanesca, pasta puttanesca |
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Region or state | Campania |
| Creator(s) | Sandro Petti |
| Details | |
| Course | Main |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredient(s) | Spaghetti, tomatoes, olives, capers, garlic, anchovies (in Lazio). |
| Variations | spaghetti alla puttanesca with tuna |
Spaghetti alla puttanesca (literally "whore's style spaghetti" in Italian) is a tangy, somewhat salty Italian pasta dish invented in the mid-20th century. The ingredients are typical of Southern Italian cuisine: tomatoes, olive oil, olives, capers, and garlic.
Contents |
Origin [edit]
Various accounts exist as to when and how the dish originated, but it likely dates to the mid-twentieth century. The earliest known mention of it is in a 1961 Italian novel which mentions spaghetti alla puttanesca come li fanno a Siracusa (spaghetti alla puttanesca as they make it in Syracuse).[1] According to the Professional Union of Italian Pasta Makers the sauce became popular in the 1960s.[2]
The 1971 edition of the Cucchiaio d’argento has no recipe with this name, but two which are similar. The Neapolitan Spaghetti alla partenopea, is made with anchovies and generous quantities of oregano, while spaghetti alla siciliana is distinguished by the addition of green peppers.[3]
According to Annarita Cuomo, writer for Il Golfo, a newspaper serving the Italian islands of Ischia and Procida, sugo alla puttanesca was invented in the 1950s by Sandro Petti, co-owner of Rancio Fellone, a famous Ischian restaurant and nightspot.[4]
Basic recipe [edit]
The sauce alone is called sugo alla puttanesca in Italian. Recipes may differ according to preferences; for instance the Neapolitan version is prepared without anchovies, unlike the version popular in Lazio, and chili pepper is sometimes added. In most cases, however, the sugo is a little salty (from the capers, olives, and anchovies) and quite fragrant (from the garlic). Traditionally, the sauce is served with spaghetti, although it also goes well with penne, bucatini, linguine and vermicelli.
Chopped garlic and anchovies (omitted in the Neapolitan version) are sautéed in olive oil. Chopped chili peppers, olives, capers, diced tomatoes and oregano are added along with salt and black pepper to taste. The cook then reduces this mixture by simmering and it is poured over spaghetti cooked al dente. The final touch is a topping of parsley.[5]
References [edit]
- ^ The dictionary entry is cited in Jeremy Parzen, ‘The origins of Sugo alla puttanesca?’, Do Bianchi, 13 January 2008, an article which supplied a number of the sources used here.
- ^ ‘Sughi d’Italia: 1000 anni di pasta, 1000 anni di condimenti’, Unione Industriali Pastai Italiani
- ^ Il nuovissimo cucchiaio d’argento, ed. by Antonia Monti Tedeschi, 6th edn (Editoriale Domus, 1971), pp. 220–221
- ^ Annarita Cuomo, ‘Il sugo “alla puttanesca” nacque per caso ad Ischia, dall'estro culinario di Sandro Petti’, Il Golfo, 17 February 2005.
- ^ Recipe on the site for the Accademia Italiana della Cucina
External links [edit]
Media related to Pasta Puttanesca at Wikimedia Commons
Spaghetti alla Puttanesca at Wikibook Cookbooks
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