Spaghetti with Tuna and Tomato

Serves 6

Canned tuna and tomato may seem an unlikely pairing, but they are actually a timehoned combo in Italian kitchens and make up one of the pasta sauces I loved most as a child. If you’ve only had canned American tuna, seek out the Italian or Spanish tuna specified in this recipe. Often packed in glass jars, its fresh tuna flavor, enriched by the oil, elevates this product to a true delicacy that should be found a shelf above domestic canned tuna, if there were any justice in the world of supermarket placement. If you have a fondness for the salty quality of this dish, you can punch it up with the addition of capers and chopped anchovy fillets.

 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small Spanish onion, peeled and cut into small dice

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

One 12-ounce jar imported Italian or Spanish preserved tuna packed in oil, drained

1 pound dried spaghetti

One 35-ounce can whole imported tomatoes in their liquid, crushed by hand

Coarse salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

 

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.

2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a wide, deep-sided sauté pan over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes without browning them. Add the tuna and cook for 5 minutes.

3. Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook until al dente, about 9 minutes.

4. While the spaghetti is cooking, add the tomatoes to the tuna, stir, season with salt and pepper, and simmer over medium heat.

5. When the spaghetti is done, drain it and transfer it to the tomato sauce. Add the parsley and toss well.

6. To serve, ladle some pasta and sauce into each of 6 warm bowls.