Pasta Puttanesca Recipe - It's all about the Sauce

Jul 25, 2020

If you’ve ever seen the Godfather Movie, you may remember that classic scene when Pete Clemenza says to Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) "Come here kid, lem-me show you something. You never know when you're gonna have to cook for 20 guys some day." * That may have been right from the movie, but I see it as a scene from my Italian Grandmother’s kitchen. Her name was Peppina, and she was a wonderful cook. She was always making sauce and stirring it with a giant wooden spoon. What wonderful memories!

Like in the movie, she made her sauce with a variety of meats. She used pork ribs, beef roast, meat balls and chicken. Some people add veal and Italian sausage. The meat adds the flavor, and when the sauce is done, the meat is served along with the pasta. A fabulous Sunday dinner and a wonderful tradition. The leftover meats are eaten the next day. The roast is sliced thin and dipped in a jus to make Italian beef served on a homemade sub bun with pepperoncini. Meat ball sandwiches with melted provolone cheese are a Monday tradition.

Because of the tradition, we wanted pay homage to sauces foundational role in Italian cooking. Our Sunday Sauce box is all about enjoying family and food. It brings those bright and satisfying flavors of the Mediterranean right to your kitchen.

I love a strong vibrant tomato sauce, I also love anchovies, which makes Puttanesca sauce a great choice for anyone who loves those strong flavors. This sauce is simple and super flavorful. The fact that it can be made from start to finish in 30 minutes makes it a great choice for a wonderful dinner on the quick. That's why we included all the items needed to make this wonderful sauce in our gift box.

Puttanesca is a classic Italian sauce from the region of Naples. Puttana is Italian slang for whore. The name seems to give it a racy connotation, the perfect name for this pungent, spicy sauce. Folklore spins a tale of prostitutes making this aromatic sauce to draw men into the brothel. I seriously doubt if the scent had anything to do with bringing the men thru the door, however, it’s such a tasty sauce, it certainly can draw a crowd.