Photo: Steven Babish
Olive oil preserved tuna is something I always have in my pantry. There are so many quick and delicious recipes that we make with it and this is one of our favourites. I also like to substitute dill for the parsley as a great alternative.
| 250 g | linguine |
| 1 × 160 g | tin olive oil preserved tuna (Rio Mare and Callipo brand, available at the Italian Centre Shops) drained |
| ½ med | red onion, sliced |
| 2 cloves | garlic, thinly sliced |
| 3 T | capers |
| juice and zest ½ lemon | |
| ½ t | salt |
| 4 T | high-quality olive oil |
| handful | Italian flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped |
| black pepper or dried chiles |
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine, cook until al dente (roughly 1 minute prior to package instructions).
While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a wide pot or large deep pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and salt, sauté until lightly softened, add the garlic and capers and fry for an additional minute. Add the tuna and remaining ingredients along with 2 ounces of the pasta cooking water, continue to cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat until ready to add the pasta.
Using tongs, pull the pasta directly from the cooking water directly into the pot of tuna sauce. Return the pot to high heat, stir constantly until the sauce is creamy and is coating the pasta, approximately 30 seconds, adding a little more pasta water if necessary. Serve immediately with a little fresh-cracked black pepper or dried chile flakes.
Serves 2.