POTTSTOWN >> For the last 13 years the Americans of Italian Heritage Council has been trying to support information regarding Italian heritage and customs at its annual Columbus Cup event at Bellewood Country Club. Much of that is done through the introduction of the featured dish each year, an “Old World” menu item that is added to the post-golf feast.
This year, at the 14th Columbus Cup, there is an opposite effort taking place. The group is trying to dispel a myth attached to a bit of Italian tradition.
The featured dish this year is Pasta Puttanesca. It is being made using a traditional recipe by Bellewood chef Brian DeJohn. The lineage of this dish also comes with a traditional, albeit incorrect, explanation.
The literal translation of “puttanesca” is “in the style of a prostitute.” Certainly, that is not the most appealing name for a featured dish.
As the story has been told, in many different versions, an Italian nobleman from a past century had a mistress whom he kept in fine fashion. She loved this spicy, flavorful pasta dish and he would instruct his cooks to make it and send it to her.
Despite there being no documentation to this fable, it has been repeated through the years, Italians living by the motto, “Never let the facts get in the way of a good story.”
The truth behind the dish is that, according to a 2008 article by Jeremy Parzen – “The Origins of Sugo alla Puttanesca” – there is no mention of this dish, anywhere, before 1961. The earliest known mention of it is in an Italian novel by Raffaele La Capria, “Ferito a Morte” (Mortal Wound). In it, Parzen describes “spaghetti alla puttanesca come il fanno a Siracusa” – “spaghetti alla puttanesca as they make it in Syracuse.”
The sauce then became popular in the mid-60s, according to the Professional Union of Italian Pasta Makers. And the fable became even more popular.
DeJohn, who comes from a large Italian family in Western Pennsylvania, admits that he never heard of the dish, or tasted anything like it, while he was growing up.
“It really is something that has become more popular in Italian restaurants recently,” explained DeJohn. “We occasionally offer it as a special here at Bellewood. A lot of people put it over spaghetti or even angel hair pasta. We won’t do that for the Columbus Cup because we have to serve it on the buffet. That requires a heartier pasta.
For the Columbus Cup event – which combines an all-day celebration of Italian food, music, wine, bocce and golf – DeJohn has chosen rigatoni as the pasta of the day.
Puttanesca is not an all-day creation, as are most Italian meat sauces. Instead, it features a quick saute of rough-chopped tomatoes with a number of ingredients – among them garlic, onion, capers, fresh basil, Kalamata olives, anchovies, crushed red pepper and wine. Perhaps this casual mix of so many ingredients often found in an Italian kitchen led to the association with the word “puttanesca” – in a more colloquial fashion, meaning “unrefined.”
“At first, I wasn’t sure about using this dish for this year’s event,” admitted Americans of Italian Heritage President Al DeGennaro. “We want to dispel certain stereotypes, not continue them. In this case, I think we are doing the right thing by setting the story straight about this dish. Plus, I tasted chef Brian’s version, and it is outstanding.”
The 14th Columbus Cup Golf and Bocce Day will take place at Bellewood Copuntry Club on Monday, Oct. 9. As usual, there will be a large field of golfers who are then joined by non-golfers at the evening wine-tasting and banquet. The evening’s dinner will include traditional featured dishes from other years, such as Greens and Beans (Minestra), Bracciole and Eggplant Parmigiana, plus many other Italian favorites.
Puttanesca Sauce
1/3 cup Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Garlic chopped
3 oz. Anchovies chopped fine
2 Tbsp. Onion diced fine
2 Tbsp. Capers
2 Tbsp. Fresh Basil chopped
4 Tbsp. Kalamata Olives chopped
1 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
2 Cup Red Wine
3 each – 28oz. Cento Italian Style Peeled Tomatoes drained, rough chopped reserving liquid.
Instructions
In a heavy bottom sauce pot heat olive oil until hot, add in all the ingredients except for the wine, tomatoes and juice. Cook until garlic and onions become soft. Add Red Wine and stir to mix well, add the tomatoes and then the reserved juice. Simmer for 25 minutes on a low flame, stir sauce frequently. Season with a little salt and pepper. Pour over favorite pasta, grate some fresh hard cheese on top and serve immediately.
