Pasta al Tonno
La Dispensa: The Sicilian-American Pantry Essentials
Seven-thirty on a Tuesday night, you open the bare cupboard to find nothing but a fistful of dried spaghetti and a six-ounce tin of oil-packed tuna. Expect no heavy, long-simmered red sauce here to mask the ingredients. Instead, you build an elegant, savory emulsion of good olive oil, melted anchovies, and starchy pasta water. Tossed with sweet raisins and briny capers, the glossy sauce clings tightly to the noodles, finished with a heavy hand of toasted breadcrumbs—the poor man's cheese. Hear the pop of the pull-tab, smash the garlic, and get the water boiling.
Ingredients
- unseasoned breadcrumbs1/2 cup
- extra virgin olive oil1 tbsp
- kosher salt1/8 tsp
- dried spaghetti, bucatini, or mezze maniche1 lb
- extra virgin olive oil1/4 cup
- garlic cloves3 med
- oil-packed anchovy fillets3 med
- crushed red pepper flakes1/4 tsp
- golden raisins2 tbsp
- pine nuts2 tbsp
- capers2 tbsp
- yellowfin tuna packed in olive oil10 oz
- fresh flat-leaf parsley1/4 cup
- lemon1/2 med
Method
- 01
Toast the breadcrumbs in a skillet with a splash of oil until deeply golden.
Stir continuously over medium-low heat. They will burn in an instant if ignored. Transfer to a bowl, season with a pinch of salt, and wipe the skillet clean.
- 02
Boil the pasta in heavily salted water until two minutes shy of al dente.
Sicilians insist the water should taste like the sea. Set a timer so you don't overcook the pasta.
- 03
Warm the remaining olive oil, garlic, anchovies, and red pepper flakes over medium-low heat.
Use a wooden spoon to push the anchovies around until they literally melt into the oil. Once the garlic is pale gold and fragrant, remove and discard it—you only want its ghost.
- 04
Stir in the drained raisins, pine nuts, and chopped capers.
Sauté for a minute or two to let the pine nuts toast slightly and the raisins swell in the savory oil.
- 05
Remove the pan from the heat and gently fold in the tuna.
Break it into rustic chunks, but don't pulverize it. High-quality canned tuna is already cooked; you are merely warming it through in the aromatic oil.
- 06
Transfer the undercooked pasta to the skillet with a splash of reserved pasta water.
Turn the heat to medium and toss vigorously. The starches in the water will bind with the oil to create a rich, glossy emulsion that coats every strand. Add more pasta water if it looks dry.
- 07
Fold in the parsley and lemon zest, then serve topped with the toasted breadcrumbs.
This is the cardinal rule of southern Italian seafood: absolutely no dairy cheese. The crispy, savory muddica is the only garnish this dish needs.
Notes
The tuna matters.
Water-packed tuna will yield a chalky, metallic result. The rich olive oil from the can is a crucial flavor component that builds the base of the sauce.
Save the pasta water.
Before you drain the pasta, scoop out at least a cup of the starchy water. This is the secret to a creamy, emulsified sauce without a drop of dairy.