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Yields:
2 - 3 serving(s)
Prep Time:
5 mins
Total Time:
20 mins
Cal/Serv:
1897
Using canned or jarred tuna in pasta is a cheap and delicious way to add some protein to a meal. Italians do it with pasta al tonno, Americans do it with tuna noodle casserole but there are countless ways to use that reliable tin can.
This recipe is a bit of a riff on a pasta puttanesca, using familiar ingredients such as capers, anchovies, and olives. But instead of sitting over a pot of simmering tomato sauce, I used sun-dried tomatoes to form a paste-y, pesto-y mixture. When combined with pasta water, the paste transforms into a luscious sauce–and it’s all made in one pan!
Flake in some tuna and you have a meal done in under 25 minutes. And while it is delicious served immediately, this recipe may secretly be best served cold the next day. Bring a tupperware full of leftovers with a bottle of rosé to the park and be prepared to never picnic any other way.
For a more even result, you can make the paste in a food processor rather than mincing everything by hand. A bit more cleanup but the time saved from chopping will be more than worth it. Any canned tuna in oil will work here, but we recommend splurging on the stuff that's jarred. It usually is a bit tastier and only a tad more expensive.
Made this one pan pasta? Let us know how it came out in the comments below
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Ingredients
- 8 oz.
long pasta such as bucatini, linguine or spaghetti
Kosher salt
- 1 cup
sun-dried tomatoes, preferably not in oil
- 1 Tbsp.
capers
- 3
garlic cloves, peeled
- 6
anchovies
- 1/4 cup
extra-virgin olive oil
- 1
(6.7-oz) jar of tuna in olive oil, or 1 (5-oz.) can of tuna in olive oil
- 2/3 cup
mixed olives, pitted and torn into small pieces
- 1 Tbsp.
finely chopped fresh parsley
Directions
- Step 1In a large skillet, add water, leaving about ½” from the top. Bring to a boil and add 2 teaspoons of salt.
- Step 2Boil pasta for 2 to 3 minutes less than the box instructions. It should be just al dente. Reserve 1 ½ cups pasta water before draining.
- Step 3If using a food processor: Process sun-dried tomatoes, capers, garlic, anchovies, and olive oil until a smooth paste forms.
- Step 4If not using a food processor: Working with 1 ingredient at a time, chop sun-dried tomatoes, capers, garlic, and anchovies, running your knife over the smaller pieces until you get them as fine as possible. Press the side of your knife down on the ingredients and use the edge to make a paste. Toss the ingredients together in a medium bowl and stir in the oil until a paste forms.
- Step 5In a large skillet over medium heat, add sun-dried tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly darkened in color and fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Step 6Reduce the heat to medium low, then slowly whisk in reserved pasta water until a cohesive, pourable sauce forms. Flake the tuna into large chunks, then add to the sauce (along with the oil from the tuna cans) and the olives. Stir to combine.
- Step 7Add the pasta and cook, tossing to coat, for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Top with parsley and serve.
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