Puttanesca, a traditional pasta sauce originating in southern italy (the exact origins are unclear, though it's most associated with the area around naples) and usually served with spaghetti, is a flavorful, slightly spicy tomato sauce with the pungent, pronounced flavors of olives, capers, and anchovy. Even if you are an avowed anchovy-hater, you should give this sauce a try: the anchovies melt away into the sauce and the final result does not taste "Fishy, " Just bold, rich and complex. As for the somewhat scandalous name (puttanesca translates literally as "Prostitute-style"), numerous theories abound as to its origins: some say it just refers to the fact that the sauce is spicy, others that ladies of the night used to make it in between clients or to attract more clients with its enticing smell. One blogger has done some research into its origins, however, and his findings seem to indicate that it has nothing to do with prostitutes at all, but rather refers to the fact that a chef in ischia's friends once asked him to cook up something, just some "Puttanata" (translating loosely as something like "Any old crap") and so he threw together whatever he had on hand and that was it, the first "Puttanesca" Pasta. Whatever the origin, it's delicious, easy, and quick. In fact, you can make this sauce in just about the time it tastes to cook a potful of spaghetti, and it calls for ingredients that most will have on hand in their pantry, making it a great weeknight meal.
