"The name originated in Naples after the local prostitutes, Pasta alla Puttanesca meaning "Pasta the way a whore would make it". The reason why the dish gained such a name is debated, though the most obvious contrast— with alla casalinga, simple "home-style" tomato sauce which has been "tarted up", as the English would say— is ignored for livelier original legends.

One possibility is that the name is a reference to the sauce's hot, spicy flavour and pungent smell. Another is that the dish was offered to prospective customers at a low price to entice them into a brothel. According to chef Jeff Smith of the Frugal Gourmet, its name came from the fact that it was a quick, cheap meal that prostitutes could prepare between customers."

Quoted From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Most recipes for Puttanesca sauce call for cooking the sauce. I believe this is the authentic way to create it. However, in researching the topic, I came across an interesting uncooked sauce. It sounds as if it would make a great cold pasta dish, and I'll have to try it next summer!

So - here are my two recipes.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves

• 1 (28-ounce) can Roma plum tomatoes, broken into pieces, with juice
• 1/2 cup tightly packed, pitted, and chopped Kalamata olives
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons minced anchovy fillets (about 8 fillets)
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped or 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
• Salt

Directions:

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute until soft and lightly caramelized, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and the remaining ingredient. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste, and serve over penne pasta.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb beefsteak or Roma tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped

• 2 tablespoons drained capers, chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 4 anchovy fillets, patted dry and finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Simply mix all ingredients together, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve with either hot or cold pasta, preferably penne or linguine.