Sometimes you need something simple, yet satisfying. This is one of those dishes. A perfect recipe for spring, this dish is light and refreshing. The key ingredient is canned tuna stored in olive oil, which gives this recipe a beautiful saltiness that makes this dish so easy to devour.
Hopefully the idea of canned tuna doesn’t scare anyone off, but I promise, this is much more elevated than the tuna salad or casserole that gave it the bad reputation. The key here is that it is stored in olive oil, not water. This olive oil adds depth of flavor and acts as a perfect host to the pile of garlic that I added to give some savory to this dish.
To balance out the saltiness, I included fresh cherry tomatoes for their acidity and brightness. They are added right before serving so that they warm up enough to just slightly burst, making every bite juicy and tinge sweet.
Now, let’s get started:
Garlic Olive Oil Pasta with Tuna and Tomatoes
Makes 2 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes | Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 5 oz. can of tuna, stored in olive oil
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes
- 5 bundles dried squid ink pasta (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
- Drizzle extra virgin olive oil for garnish
- Salt to taste
Step 1: Heat enough water to cook the pasta, add a teaspoon of salt. When boiling, add pasta and cook until al dente.
Step 2: Heat 3 tbs olive oil in a frying pan on medium high heat. Add garlic, and cook until they start to crisp up and become golden.
Step 3: Add the tuna and any leftover olive oil from the can. Break into bite-size pieces and cook for 3 minutes. Add the dried oregano, red pepper flakes, and salt to taste. Stir to combine.
Step 4: Add the tomatoes. Cook until they start to blister and burst open, about 5 minutes. Crush half the tomatoes so they release their juice. Stir in the reserved pasta water to make a sauce.
Step 5: Add the pasta and coat everything with the sauce. Drizzle with olive oil, and it’s ready to serve.
The Glutton Diaries 