Whore Pasta

Image: Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

This pasta dish is a regular at my house but it originates in the brothels of Sicilia, Italia. Spaghetti alla Puttanesca is the quick, cheap, and easy meal that the whores or "putanas" in Sicily used to make in between their gentleman callers. The "sugo" or sauce is made with odds and ends easily found in every Italian kitchen pantry. I love David Rocco's version of the recipe.

David Rocco's Nonna Maria's Spaghetti alla Puttanesca:

400 g spaghetti (0.8 lb)
1 can plum tomatoes with juices, roughly chopped
4 anchovy filets, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (60 ml)
fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
salt and chili pepper (fresh or dried)

While your spaghetti cooks in salted boiling water, prepare your sauce.

Heat up some olive oil in a large saucepan. Add garlic and chili peppers. When garlic is golden, add anchovies, olives, capers, and walnuts.

Let cook for a few seconds before pouring plum tomatoes into the pan. Cook for approximately five minutes.

About a minute and a half before the al dente stage, drain the spaghetti and add it to the saucepan, allowing it to finish cooking in the sauce. Sprinkle fresh parsley and plate. Serve immediately.

Per 4 persone.