Introduction
Pasta al tonno is spaghetti in a quick tomato sauce with canned tuna, garlic, capers and parsley. Everything in it keeps in the cupboard, it costs very little, and the sauce is ready in the time the pasta takes to boil. It is a good dinner for the end of the month, or for a night when there is nothing fresh in the house.
It is an Italian home dish rather than a regional classic, and families add their own touches: black olives, a splash of white wine, more chili. In Italy, pasta with fish is usually eaten without Parmesan, so lemon zest and parsley finish it here. Stir the tuna in at the end and only warm it through. Cooked for longer, it goes dry and stringy.
Ingredients
- 400 g spaghetti or linguine
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 pinch of chili flakes
- 1 can of chopped tomatoes (400 g)
- 2 cans of tuna in olive oil (2 × 160 g), drained
- 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
- grated zest of ½ lemon
- a handful of parsley, chopped
- salt and black pepper
Tools
- A large pot for the pasta
- A large frying pan
- A colander
Preparation
- Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta for the time on the packet, minus one minute.
- Meanwhile, warm the oil in the frying pan over a medium heat with the garlic and chili for 1 to 2 minutes, until the garlic just starts to colour.
- Add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
- Stir in the capers and break the tuna into the sauce in large flakes. Warm it through for one minute only.
- Keep a cup of the pasta water, drain the pasta and toss it in the pan with the sauce, adding a splash of the water if it looks dry.
- Season with pepper, scatter over the lemon zest and parsley and serve straight away.