Usually when we use canned tuna in a pasta dish, we use tuna packed in olive oil. It just disperses better in the sauce and is more intensely flavored. But today we had only albacore chunk tuna, so I added a little more olive oil to the sauce than I would have otherwise, and I added one minced anchovy. Anchovies are terrific for kicking a pasta sauce up a notch, and making dry tuna packed in water taste more like oil-packed.

Tuna Tomato Pasta with Olives Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes Yield: Serves 4.

Prep the ingredients while the pasta water is heating. If you are subbing onions for the shallots, mince them and let them cook a few minutes before adding the garlic and red pepper flakes.

Ingredients 12 ounces shell pasta (conchiglie pasta) Salt for pasta water 5 Tbsp olive oil (or 3 Tbsp if you are using tuna packed in olive oil) 1/4 cup chopped shallots 2  teaspoons mince garlic 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 2 5-ounce cans tuna 1 anchovy, minced (optional) 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes 1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Method

1 Bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil (add 1 Tbsp salt for every 2 quarts of water). While the water is heating, prep the ingredients and start the sauce.

2 Heat 3 Tbsp of olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped shallots, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes at the same time to the pan. Let cook for about 30 seconds. Drain the canned tuna and add it to the pan. If you are using tuna packed in water and not olive oil, add 2 or 3 more Tbsp of olive oil to the pan. Break up any chunks of tuna with a fork or wooden spoon. Add minced anchovy if using. Let simmer for a minute.

3 Stir in the crushed tomatoes and olives. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to the lowest setting to gently cook while you cook the pasta.

4 Add dry pasta to the pot of boiling salted water. Cook uncovered at a vigorous full boil until al dente—cooked, but still a little firm to the bite, about 13-14 minutes.

5 Drain the pasta and stir into the sauce. Toss with chopped fresh parsley.

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