Fusilli As Made by Ladies of the Evening

Name: Fusilli As Made by Ladies of the Evening
Yield: serves 6
Ingredients: 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for pasta pot; 1 pound fusilli; 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 6 garlic cloves, sliced; 1/4 teaspoon peperoncino flakes; 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, crushed by hand; 5-ounce can Italian tuna in olive oil, drained; 1 cup pitted olives, a mix of black oil-cured and green, halved; 1/3 cup drained tiny capers in brine; 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley; 1/2 cup grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano

December 14, 2011

Puttanesca sauce originated in Naples and derives its name from “ladies of the evening.” The story goes that, between clients, the women of the evening in Naples would make this quick and delicious pasta dish. The easy procedure and simple ingredients—found in the cupboard, most likely—created a quick dish they could make without any major interruption of business. This dish was big on the Italian American restaurant scene in the seventies, I guess because it called for authentic Italian ingredients that were newly available then. Cured olives and cured capers are used a lot in southern Italy, to deliver a wallop of flavor with a small investment, and so this traditional dish continues today in Italian homes and restaurants across America.

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