Lemony Chili and Tuna Pasta

The seamy underside of being a recipe developer is that while there may often be lots of stuff in the fridge, sometimes there’s just nothing for dinner. So one night I took the jar of “good” tuna from my cupboard (look for ones packed in olive oil in glass jars), grabbed a container of olives from the fridge, squired a bundle of bucatini from the cupboard, scraped the dregs of some 24-Hour Salted Lemon Spread out of its little jar, and was well on my way to what has become one of our favorite dinners. Cooking the lemon condiment in olive oil for a bit before adding everything else caramelizes it slightly, rounding out some of its edges without losing the lemony sharpness you want here.

Serves 4

Active Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

¾ pound bucatini or spaghetti

1 cup fresh shelled peas or frozen, thawed peas

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for tossing the pasta

6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

⅓ to ½ cup 24-Hour Salted Lemon Spread*

1 small hot red chili pepper, sliced into thin rounds

Two 6.7-ounce jars or three 5-ounce cans good-quality tuna in olive oil, drained

½ cup (¾ ounce) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for garnishing

¼ cup pitted cured Moroccan black olives, halved

1 cup finely minced fresh parsley

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente, adding the peas during the last 30 seconds of cooking. Scoop out ¾ cup of the pasta water and reserve, then drain the pasta and peas. Toss them with a drop of olive oil right in the colander (the oil will keep the pasta from sticking). Return the pot to the stove, then add the ¼ cup olive oil, and heat over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook, stirring until fragrant and lightly golden, 2 minutes. Raise the heat to medium, add ⅓ cup of the lemon condiment and chilies and cook, stirring, until the mixture darkens slightly, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the reserved pasta water, stirring until everything is incorporated, then return the pasta and peas to the pot along with the tuna, cheese, and olives. Gently toss, taste, then toss with the remaining lemon condiment if you feel like it needs more punch. Toss with the parsley, season with black pepper, and garnish with more cheese.

*If you don’t have any of the lemon condiment, you can sub in ¼ cup Preserved Lemon Paste, or more to taste, or the finely grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon.