Pasta alla Puttanesca is a first course originating from Naples, possibly dating to the mid-20th century, or earlier; in Campania, it’s also known as ‘aulive and chiapparielle’ (olives and capers) or, in the past, as ‘pasta alla marinara’.

Puttanesca sauce is simple and made with black Gaeta olives, capers, garlic, chili pepper, oregano, tomatoes (with addition of tomato paste), olive oil and, at the end, fresh parsley. Puttanesca, like many culinary specialties of Campania, has become popular also in neighboring Lazio, where it’s made with the variant of salted anchovies. The recommended pasta format to go with puttanesca sauce is linguine or vermicelli, but spaghetti and penne are also widely used.