While also known as ulive e chiapparielle (olives and capers) in the local dialect, puttanesca pasta is famous for its name, even outside of Italy. Theories abound as to how the sauce – derived from the Italian word puttana (whore) – got its name, though none have been proven.

Some believe the name was adopted at the beginning of the 20th century, as this dish was a particular favorite with patrons of a brothel in Naples' Spanish quarter. Others suggest the colorful moniker evokes the colorful olive- and tomato-colored dresses worn by some of the showier women, while another theory posits that the recipe was invented by Yvette-la-Française, a prostitute from Provence who paid tribute to the world’s oldest profession with this name.