August 28, 2024, at home
As per my request, my wonderful wife made one of my favorite Italian dishes: Linguine Puttanesca. The ingredients are linguine (any other pasta can be used) with a Puttanesca sauce: olive oil, garlic, anchovies, crushed red pepper flakes, diced tomatoes, kalamata olives, pickled capers, and fresh parsley.
Puttanesca translates as "in the style of the whore." The name derives from the Italian word "puttana" which means "whore." Puttana in turn arises from the Latin word "putida" which means stinking.
As you can tell by the ingredients, it is quite stinky, which is why I love it. Many thanks go to my wonderful wife for enduring her creation for me.
One website further explains: "One tale tells how this dish was invented in the brothels of Naples so the smells wafting from the kitchen would entice potential ... errr, clients. Another story claims this pasta was a quick and simple dish ladies of the Neapolitan night could throw together in a hurry in amongst their busy schedules."
Part of my Italian family (maternal) lives in Sturno, Italy, which is fairly close to Naples, Italy. I visited family members on their farm in Sturno in July 1970 with my parents when I was nine years old.
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