Pasta with Tuna Sauce

The secret to making this luscious pasta is to stir in a little of the pasta cooking water, which melds with the tuna and the oil to create a creamy sauce.

  • Serves

    serves 4

Ingredients

  • 12 oz. dried spaghettini
  • 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 12 tsp. crushed red chile flakes
  • 3 tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 2 (half-pint) jars Homemade Canned Tuna with their oil or 3 (6-oz.) cans olive oil-packed tuna (undrained)
  • Kosher salt

Instructions

Step 1

Bring a 6-quart pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add spaghettini and cook until it is just al dente, about 8 minutes. Ladle out and reserve 1⁄2 cup pasta water. Drain and reserve pasta.

Step 2

Meanwhile, heat 3 tbsp. of the extra-virgin olive oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and red chile flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic softens, about 2 minutes. Increase heat to high. Add tuna and cook, stirring and breaking up tuna into small chunks with a wooden spoon, until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Step 3

Add reserved pasta and water and toss with tuna sauce. Cook, stirring vigorously with tongs, until sauce thickens and clings to pasta. Stir in parsley, season with salt to taste, and drizzle with more oil. Divide the pasta between 4 bowls and serve immediately.
  1. Bring a 6-quart pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add spaghettini and cook until it is just al dente, about 8 minutes. Ladle out and reserve 1⁄2 cup pasta water. Drain and reserve pasta.
  2. Meanwhile, heat 3 tbsp. of the extra-virgin olive oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and red chile flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic softens, about 2 minutes. Increase heat to high. Add tuna and cook, stirring and breaking up tuna into small chunks with a wooden spoon, until heated through, about 2 minutes.
  3. Add reserved pasta and water and toss with tuna sauce. Cook, stirring vigorously with tongs, until sauce thickens and clings to pasta. Stir in parsley, season with salt to taste, and drizzle with more oil. Divide the pasta between 4 bowls and serve immediately.
Recipes

Pasta with Tuna Sauce

  • Serves

    serves 4

The secret to making this luscious pasta is to stir in a little of the pasta cooking water, which melds with the tuna and the oil to create a creamy sauce.

Ingredients

  • 12 oz. dried spaghettini
  • 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 12 tsp. crushed red chile flakes
  • 3 tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 2 (half-pint) jars Homemade Canned Tuna with their oil or 3 (6-oz.) cans olive oil-packed tuna (undrained)
  • Kosher salt

Instructions

Step 1

Bring a 6-quart pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add spaghettini and cook until it is just al dente, about 8 minutes. Ladle out and reserve 1⁄2 cup pasta water. Drain and reserve pasta.

Step 2

Meanwhile, heat 3 tbsp. of the extra-virgin olive oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and red chile flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic softens, about 2 minutes. Increase heat to high. Add tuna and cook, stirring and breaking up tuna into small chunks with a wooden spoon, until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Step 3

Add reserved pasta and water and toss with tuna sauce. Cook, stirring vigorously with tongs, until sauce thickens and clings to pasta. Stir in parsley, season with salt to taste, and drizzle with more oil. Divide the pasta between 4 bowls and serve immediately.
  1. Bring a 6-quart pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add spaghettini and cook until it is just al dente, about 8 minutes. Ladle out and reserve 1⁄2 cup pasta water. Drain and reserve pasta.
  2. Meanwhile, heat 3 tbsp. of the extra-virgin olive oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and red chile flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic softens, about 2 minutes. Increase heat to high. Add tuna and cook, stirring and breaking up tuna into small chunks with a wooden spoon, until heated through, about 2 minutes.
  3. Add reserved pasta and water and toss with tuna sauce. Cook, stirring vigorously with tongs, until sauce thickens and clings to pasta. Stir in parsley, season with salt to taste, and drizzle with more oil. Divide the pasta between 4 bowls and serve immediately.

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