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Spaghetti al tonno
Spaghetti with tuna and tomato
Spaghetti al tonno: southern Italian tuna, tomato and caper pasta from the store cupboard
Spaghetti al tonno is what families from Naples to Palermo make when the fridge is empty but the cupboard holds a tin of good tuna in olive oil, some tomatoes and a jar of capers. The sauce is ready in the time the pasta boils: garlic warmed in the tuna's own oil, tomatoes simmered briefly, then the tuna folded through in flakes with parsley. The mistake to avoid is boiling the tuna in the sauce for long, which turns it dry and stringy; add it at the end and just warm it. Like most fish pastas in Italy, it is served without cheese. Chef's tip: use the oil from the tin to start the sauce, and save a few big flakes of tuna to put on top of each plate.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 14 oz spaghetti
- 1 tbsp saltfor the pasta water
- 11 ½ oz tinned tuna in olive oiltwo 160 g tins (drained weight about 220 g), oil kept
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlicthinly sliced
- ¼ tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)
- 14 oz tinned chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp capersrinsed
- ½ oz flat-leaf parsleychopped
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Bring 4 litres of water to the boil and add 1 tbsp salt.
8 minStep 2: Drain 11 ½ oz tinned tuna in olive oil, pouring 2 tbsp of its oil into a wide frying pan with 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Set over a low-medium heat and add 2 cloves garlic and ¼ tsp dried chilli flakes. Cook gently for 1–2 minutes, until the garlic is pale gold; brown garlic tastes bitter.
2 minStep 3: Add 14 oz tinned chopped tomatoes and 1 tbsp capers and simmer for 8–10 minutes, until the sauce thickens and the oil glistens on the surface.
9 minStep 4: Meanwhile cook 14 oz spaghetti for 1 minute less than the packet says, until still slightly firm in the centre. Scoop out a cupful of the cooking water before draining.
10 minStep 5: Flake the tuna into the sauce in big pieces with ⅜ oz flat-leaf parsley and ¼ tsp ground black pepper, and warm for 1 minute only.
1 minStep 6: Tip the spaghetti into the pan with a splash of pasta water and toss over the heat for 1 minute, until the sauce clings and looks glossy. Serve topped with the rest of ⅛ oz flat-leaf parsley.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 78 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does spaghetti al tonno take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of spaghetti?
- Linguine or any long pasta, same amount.
- What can I use instead of tinned tuna in olive oil?
- Vegetable, sunflower or rapeseed oil, same amount (for cooking; keep olive oil for dressings if you have a little).
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