Canned Tuna & Veggie Pasta
Like most people, I usually treat canned tuna as a back-up plan - if I’m hungry and there isn’t a lot else to eat, I’ll usually make myself some spiced tuna patties and eat it with sriracha. If I’m really hungry, I’ll just mix it up with some hot sauce and mayonnaise and eat it over crackers. As I learned more about cooking, I realized I was writing off canned tuna too easily and some good tuna can make for great pasta.
This pasta recipe is a riff on a few I’ve seen done. The goal is to keep it simple - in the time it takes for the pasta to boil, your sauce is ready to go. You’re talking dinner in under 15 mins (I timed myself to be sure), including the prep. If you have access to it, tuna in olive oil is better for this pasta and if you don’t just add a little extra olive oil when you’re cooking. I used kale because that’s what I had but this works with any greens, like spinach, arugula, or a bunch of micro-greens.
Because it’s such a simple dish, technique is even more important here:
Lightly brown the garlic to flavor the cooking oil first, it makes a difference
Cook the pasta 1 min less than the package recommends. Don’t drain it, just move it with tongs from the pot you’re boiling into the sauce in the skillet. Then add 1/4-1/3 cup of the pasta water to the skillet. The extra pasta water will add a nice starchy quality to the dish.
Be careful not to over mix or "manhandle” the tuna - it’s nice to get large chunks when you’re eating!
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 servings spaghetti or buccatini pasta
1 can (4 oz) tuna in olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
10-12 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp capers, roughly minced
Handful of greens
1-2 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
Method
If using kale, remove the leaves from the stems and discard the stems. Then squeeze some lemon and sprinkle some salt on the kale and massage for a few minutes to break down the fibers. Set aside.
Boil the pasta in salted water. Cook for 1 min less than the package instructions.
While the pasta cooks, heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. You can use the oil in the tuna can for this. Once the oil is shimmering, add the sliced garlic and let it lightly brown, about 1 min. Next, add the greens, halved tomatoes, and capers; cook until the tomatoes begin to break down, about 4 mins. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the canned tuna chunks and gently distribute, without breaking it up too much. Now, use tongs and bring the almost-cooked pasta to the skillet and toss through gently. Add 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the pasta water to the skillet as well. Let cook for 1-2 mins. Finish with lemon juice and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Serve!
