Spaghetti alla Puttanesca - Pasta for the Working Girl on the Go

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca.  The name sounds pretty, until you realize that its English translation is "Whore's Pasta."

Who are these ladies of the night, what were they cooking, and how did they get a pasta dish named after them?  Legend has it that the "working girls" didn't have much time between "clients," and if they wanted to eat, they had to whip together something quick and simple.  Sorry, ladies, no bolognese for you!  This sauce of garlic, tomatoes, olives, anchovies, and capers was easy to prepare and went together in less time than it took to boil the pasta water, which gave the ladies plenty of time to engage in their economic pursuits. 

Think about our eat-on-the-run culture.  Often, food advertisements lure us in with the promise that so-and-so's new product can be cooked in under two minutes, or its packaging is designed to allow us to eat without utensils so we can get the "food" in our mouths while walking, driving, etc.  We can eat soup while talking on hands-free phones and dodging traffic on the way to work!  Really?  This is supposed to be a good thing? 

Our culture demands that we spend the majority of our waking time auctioning off little pieces of ourselves in exchange for wages, and the process of preparing a meal has been reduced and degraded to "what can I throw in the microwave and inhale on the way to my meeting?"  We rarely make slow-cooked sauces, and we rarely sit down for hours and enjoy a luxurious meal with friends and family.  We're much too busy for that stuff...not so unlike the puttane whose compromised time and desperate lifestyles gave name to this pasta recipe.  Are we all just a bunch of prostitutes?  Are we so busy selling ourselves that we have to multitask during dinner? 

I should mention that at least 1/3 of my posts are written from my cubicle while eating microwaved leftovers and watching the clock.  Trust me, the irony is not lost on me. 

Please try this recipe sometime, and please eat it sitting down at a table with a friend or two and a glass of wine...or three.

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

1  pound spaghetti or other long pasta (I used fusilli lunghi)
generous splash olive oil
1  2 oz. tin anchovy fillets (do not drain)
1  garlic clove, minced
1  small onion, minced
1  28 oz. can crushed Italian tomatoes (Rienzi, Pastene and Tuttorosso are good brands) 
1/4 c. capers
1 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. crushed red chile flakes
1 cup chopped black olives
salt and pepper to taste
grated parmesan or pecorino romano, to serve (optional) 

Cook the pasta.  In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.  When the oil is heated through, add the anchovy fillets and their oil, the garlic, and the onion.  Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the anchovies have begun to break apart.  Be careful not to let the garlic burn. 

Next, add the tomatoes, capers, oregano, and chile flakes.  Stir well, cover, and cook until the liquid comes to a boil.  Reduce to simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. 

After the sauce has simmered, add the olives, salt and pepper.  Cook for about 2-3 more minutes, stirring frequently.  In the meantime, drain the cooked pasta, toss with a bit of olive oil, and divide into 4 bowls.  Ladle a bit of the sauce over each bowl, serve, and toss with grated cheese if you'd like.