How to make the Spaghetti alla puttanesca:
Cook the spaghetti in salted,
boiling water until al dente. Meanwhile fry the garlic, capers, olives,
anchovies, chiles, and oregano in a little olive oil for a few minutes.
Add the tomatoes, bring to a simmer, and continue to cook for 4 or 5
minutes, until you have a lovely tomato sauce consistency.
Remove from the
heat, plunge the drained spaghetti into it, toss it over, and cover with
the sauce. Rip all the basil over it, correct the seasoning, and drizzle
with good extra-virgin olive oil: your spaghetti alla puttanesca are ready.
Serves 4
A bit of history (or folklore) of Italian cuisine...
Yes, puttanesca does mean "whore style"
in Italian I can't help it; it's just what this tomato-based sauce is
traditionally called. The somewhat un-p.c. name is no doubt a reference to
the spicy flavors of this dish, at any rate, it's delicious, and makes for
an interesting change of the pace when you're bored with the more mundane
flavors of marinara sauce.
A legend is that the name comes from the whores that
prepared the dish of spaghetti alla puttanesca in the little time available to them between work assignments...
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