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puttanesca

American  
[poo-tuh-nes-kuh, poo-tah-ne-skah] / ˌpu təˈnɛs kə, ˌpu tɑˈnɛ skɑ /

adjective

  1. Italian Cooking. served with or being a tomato sauce traditionally containing olives, capers, garlic, chile peppers, and sometimes anchovies.

    Entrees include many pasta dishes, from cheese-stuffed ravioli to pasta puttanesca.

    Tuna in olive oil is the perfect protein to stand up to a flavorful puttanesca sauce.


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

But I’d like to make the case for my pasta, which draws inspiration from classic spaghetti alla puttanesca while doubling down on the acidity, brightness and overall tang.

From Salon May 1, 2026

Straight out of the tin, anchovies can be assertive, but their umami flavor can be judiciously harnessed, adding depth to Caesar salad dressing, pasta puttanesca and other recipes.

From Seattle Times Sep. 30, 2023

Rife with briny capers, olives, garlic, red pepper flakes and basil, it’s something like a saucy, seafood version of puttanesca.

From Washington Times Mar. 28, 2023

After our appetizers, we put in for three pasta dishes—a puttanesca, a gnocchi, and a tagliolini.

From Slate Jan. 13, 2023

The Baudelaire orphans copied the puttanesca recipe from the cookbook onto a piece of scrap paper, and Justice Strauss was kind enough to escort them to the market to buy the necessary ingredients.

From "The Bad Beginning" by Lemony Snicket

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