Spaghetti with Tuna Sauce
Every Italian home cook worth his or her salt has a recipe for spaghetti with tuna sauce. That’s because it’s a quick dish made from pantry staples and can be embellished or not, depending on what’s in the cupboard.
Italians always use tuna packed in olive oil, but tuna in water works fine. Here I’ve enriched the sauce with capers, olives and anchovies. Don’t think this last ingredient makes the recipe one for adults only. When you mash a few anchovies into warm olive oil, they melt into a subtle seasoning--even kids will approve. Honest.
Serve this with a simple green salad dressed with olive oil, salt and a little lemon or vinegar.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it’s transparent, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley and the chile, and cook for 1 minute. Add the canned tomatoes with their juices to the pan, and cook the sauce uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick, about 15 minutes. Once the sauce has thickened, add the tuna and olives, stir gently to break up the tuna, and cook until the tuna is warmed through, about 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in well-salted boiling water until al dente, slightly firm to the bite.
While the sauce is simmering, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a small pot. Add the anchovies, remove the pot from the heat, and, using a fork, mash the anchovies into the olive oil until they dissolve. Stir in the capers and the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley. Remove the chile from the tuna sauce, then stir the anchovy mixture into the sauce. Taste the sauce, and add salt if needed. Drain the spaghetti and toss with the sauce.
Get our Cooking newsletter.
Your roundup of inspiring recipes and kitchen tricks.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
