I made puttanesca pasta for my husband for dinner.......he speaks a little Italian....?

Question

He says puttanesca translates as p***y/w***e.......yikes, I didn't think I was that creative in the kitchen. Is his translation correct?

Answer 1

Yep, he's right, "puttana" is the Italian word for prostitute... "pasta alla puttanesca" translates to "pasta a w***e would make", probably because the ingredients are cheap, so even a w***e could afford to make it.

Answer 2

puttana means w***e. the dish got it's name because a long time ago in Italy it was a dish that the whores (prostitutes) would make for the men. i couldn't believe it but it's true. my dad is from Italy, and he's the one who told me.

Answer 3

It is! Have a look at this.......

Answer 4

Yep, the translation is correct:  puttana = prostitute/w***e.

There are two versions of the story as to why it's called that:

One, that these loose women would lure prospective clients (usually sailors returning from a long voyage) to their residences with the smell of this spicy sauce.

Two, that it was simply a quick, tasty, satisfying meal they could make between clients, or offer to their clients before or after the transaction.

Answer 5

yes it does mean that.. and I have heard a different variation of how the name came to be.

The old men in the village where the sauce first originated were said to have been sitting around the next morning after eating the meal the night before, probably drinking espresso.... and the men recalled that last night they ate a sauce that "was so good, it was like spending a night with a w***e."  

Just another variation.