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

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