Puttanesca definition

po͝otə-nĕskə

Being or served with a pungent sauce of tomatoes, olives, garlic, anchovies, capers, and hot chili pepper.

Pasta puttanesca.

adjective

Puttanesca sauce.

noun

Origin of puttanesca

From Italian alla puttanesca in puttanesca style from puttanesca feminine of puttanesco like a prostitute, filthy from Old Italian from puttana female prostitute from Old French putain from pute feminine of put foul, stinking from Latin pūtidus from pūtēre to be rotten, stink pū̆- in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition