Puttanesca Sauce

The elements of Italy's famously pungent sauce—garlic, tomatoes, fresh herbs, capers, anchovies, and olives—add up to one of the most satisfying quick-simmered sauces we know. (Legend has it the sauce was invented in Neapolitan brothels, because it was an easy and comforting dish to whip up between, ahem, other activities.) Throw them in a pan, and a few minutes later you have a lusty-tasting melange that's delicious tossed with pasta or served over grilled chicken or fish.