puttanesca

adjective

put·​ta·​nes·​ca ˌpü-tä-ˈne-skä 

: served with or being a pungent tomato sauce typically containing olives, garlic, capers, hot pepper, and sometimes anchovies

—usually used postpositively

pasta puttanesca

Examples of puttanesca in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Alternatively, combine with tomato, garlic, capers, and olives for a puttanesca-style pasta sauce. —Ranyechi Udemezue, Vogue, 6 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Italian, short for alla puttanesca, literally, in the style of a puttana "woman who engages in sex acts in exchange for pay"

First Known Use

1969, in the meaning defined above