Tasting Southern Italy

This week I'm writing a conference paper on a fifteenth-century composer and music theorist who spent several years living in the southern Italian city of Naples. I still haven't visited Naples myself (it's on the very long to-visit list), but I always find cooking is an efficient means for sensory travels to far-off places. It's usually much cheaper, unless of course you're imagining a trip to the Caspian Sea with heaps of Beluga caviar. While writing this conference paper, I'm still enjoying leftovers from last weekend's dinner party, which include my own penne puttanesca. It appears that puttanesca sauce was invented in southern Italy in the mid-20th century and is known for its salty, pungent flavors of garlic, flat-leaf parsley, red pepper, anchovies, capers, and olives. There are some regional variants of proportions and ingredients (including the addition of diced green peppers), but I provide here the recipe that I always use.



Penne Puttanesca
serves 4-6


4 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 Tbs. minced garlic (about 3-4 cloves)
3-4 anchovy fillets
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbs. tomato paste
1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes with juices
1 Tbs. capers, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup pitted oil-cured black olives, coarsely chopped
1 tsp. minced fresh oregano
4 tsp. minced fresh basil
3 Tbs. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1 lb. fresh penne (linguine also works well)


In large pot over medium heat, warm oil. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly caramelized, 12-15 minutes. Add garlic, anchovy, and red pepper flakes; cook until garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Add tomato paste; cook 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add tomatoes and juices, capers and olives; cook until sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes. Add oregano, basil, parsley, and black pepper. While sauce is thickening, boil a pot of water and cook pasta according to directions. Toss sauce with pasta and, if necessary, add some reserved pasta-cooking water. Serve immediately.