Thursday, December 18, 2008

Spaghettini Con Sugo di Tonno

Clearly, I’ve been busy lately because it’s been quite a while since I posted anything labor-intensive that requires multiple days of preparation. And, that’s definitely not what you’ll find here today either. When quick and easy cooking is also enormously delicious, I’m on board. This dish is classically Italian in that six simple ingredients come together to make something unbelievably pleasing. It’s from the September, I think, issue of Saveur. There was an article about canning your own tuna, and this was a suggested way to use that canned tuna. See above statement about quick and easy, because I did not can my own tuna. However, I did place an order with Market Hall Foods which included an exceptional can of Ortiz tuna. It was so delicious that now I’m very curious about the Ventresca. If anyone has tried this, I’d love to hear your opinion of it.

This meal was made for multi-tasking. While the pasta water came to a boil, there was ample time to slice garlic, chop parsley, open the can of tuna, heat the olive oil with crushed red pepper and sliced garlic, add the tuna, and dress a couple of small plates of arugula with oil and vinegar. Al dente spaghettini was tossed with the oil, garlic, pepper, tuna, parsley, and some reserved pasta boiling water. Devouring ensued. At the risk of fawning, I have to say again that this was really, really good tuna. It breaks apart and swirls into the olive oil and twists its way among the strands of pasta. With the hit of crushed red pepper and the garlic, the flavors are sculpted into a situation of give me more because my plate is already empty. Use homemade canned tuna, or get something great like the Ortiz, and try this soon.


11 comments:

  1. lis,
    foodblogga did tuna w/ pasta today for Christmas eve 7 Fishes!
    I LOVE tuna w/ pasta, even with mayo in the summer!
    It's so good w/ tomato sauce too.
    I buy the good Italian tuna in the jar. Worth every penny.
    Stace

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  2. Yumm I love Italian tuna. I don't know what they put in that stuff but it tastes so much better than the stuff we get in supermarkets here.

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  3. Looks good... Scared to buy canned tuna but I'll pick up some of that brand when I see it.

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  4. good canned tuna makes a huge difference! i've never been one for tuna in pasta, but this does sound really tasty :)

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  5. stacey-- once again, great minds...
    chezwhat-- I'm with you
    marc-- I'd like to solve that mystery too!
    jude-- I try to limit my big fish intake also and stick to the good stuff when I do partake.
    heather-- give it a try!

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  6. Ortiz is one of my favorite brands. Those Spaniards really know their tuna. If you find the Ortiz tuna in a glass jar, grab some up. Fantastic. Don't think I've had the Ventresca, though. I make a similar dish to this that adds a can of diced tomatoes, lemon zest, and fennel seed. It's one of our favorite quick meals.

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  7. wait a tick--homemade canned tuna? never have i ever known anyone to do that. kudos to whomever goes to that trouble--i'll bet it's far and away superior to the store-bought version!

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  8. This recipe looks so simple yet delicious. I really enjoy reading your blog. There is an award for you in my blog. Please go to my blog to receive it. Have a great day!

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  9. one of our favorite, easy go-to weeknight meals. we love to cook some grape tomatoes in w/ the garlic and then smash them slightly w/ a fork before adding it to the pasta. oh, and peperoncino is a must for us. it's so satisfying and cheap to make!

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