Fresh Tuna Puttanesca

, from Issue #23.
Photography by Nick Tresidder.
Fresh Tuna Puttanesca

This is a simple pasta sauce that requires very little work. The lovely casareccia pasta is not a common shape, but is simply a small sheet of pasta that has been rolled around a fine rod. As with orecchiette it is traditionally made by hand. Artisan-style pastas such as this are available at specialty food stores.

INGREDIENTS

1⁄4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1⁄2 -1 teaspoon chilli flakes
1 x 400 gram tin crushed Italian tomatoes
2 tablespoons capers
1⁄2 cup halved and pitted black olives
3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
400 grams fresh tuna, diced 2 cm pieces
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
200 grams casareccia pasta

METHOD

Sauce: Heat the oil in a sauté pan and cook the garlic and chilli for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes and cook over a high heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the capers, olives, anchovies, lemon zest and juice and cook for 1 minute. Fold through the tuna and flat-leaf parsley. The tuna will cook gently in the heat of the sauce. Season carefully with salt and give a good grind of pepper.

Pasta: Cook in plenty of boiling, well salted water until al dente. Drain well.

To serve: Divide the pasta between warm serving bowls and spoon over the tuna puttanesca. Serves 4