Dinner of Mama Samaan

Posted byLori Posted onMay 13, 2010 Comments6

What Runs Lori has requested a recipe and a special guest post today! A few nights ago, Mama Samaan (my boyfriend’s mother) made an incredibly delicious meal of Spaghetti alla Puttanesca. This dish is explained below in by the woman, herself. But before you read that, just know, it was super tasty, super filling, super nutritious, and I even got to have my sauce on kelp noodles instead of regular ones, which she and the boyfriend had instead. What a lady!

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca By Mama Samaan:

Spaghetti alla puttanesca (whore’s spaghetti) is a spicy, tangy, somewhat salty Italian pasta dish that culinary experts regard as modern and reflects the bounty of the market rather than the garden. The ingredients are inexpensive, easy to find and typically Mediterranean. Italians refer to the sauce as sugo alla puttanesca. According to the Professional Union of Italian Pasta Makers the sauce became popular in the 1960s.To understand how this sauce came to get its name, one must consider the 1950s when brothels in Italy were state owned. They were known as case chiuse or ‘closed houses’ because the shutters had to be kept permanently closed to avoid offending the sensibilities of neighbors or innocent passersby. Conscientious Italian housewives usually shop at the local market every day to buy fresh food, but these “civil servants” were only allowed one day per week for shopping, and their time was valuable. Their specialty became a sauce made quickly from odds and ends in the larder.(source: Wikipedia)

To assemble the sauce:

Large can of chopped tomatoes or preferably 1 1/2 pounds of very ripe tomatoes chopped
1/2 cup chopped black olives
1/2 cup slightly chopped capers
3 gloves of garlic sliced
1/2 tsp + red chili flakes (more if spicier sauce is desired)
1 can of anchovies chopped

Saute red chili peppers and garlic in olive oil
add all ingredients and simmer for 30+ minutes
only add salt and pepper if needed at this point
serve over 1 lb of Pasta

Mmmmmm. Mmmmmm. Thanks Mama Samaan!

This sauce is so simple to make and tastes amazing. The flavors meld wonderfully. And don’t be scared of the anchovies, as they create a layer of flavor that is absolutely needed in this dish! My sauce is below with kelp noodles… Mmmmmmm, again!

And for the salad. Duh, there’s always salad (and it’s salad month!)

Tangy Fruit Dressing adapted from a recipe by Elaina Love

  • 1 cup fresh pineapple (or other tropical fruit)
  • 4 1/2 teaspoons raw apple cider vinegar or 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 3/4 Celtic sea salt
  • 1 tablespoons honey (or agave or 1 date)
  • 1 tablespoon prepared Dijon mustard

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve over any greens you’d like… actually over anything at all you’d like. It’s that good and that versatile.

Question of the day:

What is the best thing that your mother, father, sister, uncle, cousin, etc. makes that you just could not live without? For me, I love love love love love my mom’s homemade rum cake. Yeah, NOT very healthy but sooooooo good. When my sister, myself, and mom are together for a holiday and mom has a fresh rum cake made, it’s bad news. We sit together with forks consuming bite after rum-alicious bite. Ha! Although, haven’t done that in a long while. It’s still good.

Enjoy the rest of your day! Friday is RIGHT around that corner!

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6 People reacted on this

  1. Nothing beats homemade sauces and that one looks divine! Capers & olives in the sauce sounds slightly tangy and perfect for me.
    .-= Ashlei´s last blog ..Oh Salad, I Love Thee =-.

  2. I never knew that is what puttansca means. Interesting.

    And the dressing; I’m sad I just finished my pineapple. Must get more, I suppose.
    .-= Katie´s last blog ..My poor garden =-.

  3. OMG! that looks so beautiful…and so yummy…putanesca is my fave, so are salads!!!!

    =)

  4. hi lori!
    that tangy fruit dressing sounds SO good! pineapple in dressing… that’s the first time i’ve seen that. the fact that the pasta is called whore’s spaghetti is really interesting.. and i love capers 🙂

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