Tuna and Caper Pasta

Method

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1. Put a large pan of well-salted water on to boil and cook the pasta to 1 minute short of the packet time. Reserve 300 ml of the water before draining.

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2. Drain the tuna over a bowl and keep the oil. Flake the fish into large pieces.

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3. Heat the tuna oil and the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat and cook the garlic and chilli flakes for 45 seconds, until fragrant and pale gold.

   Mark done Start 45 sec timer

4. Add the capers and olives and fry 1 minute, then stir in the tomato purée and cook 90 seconds until it darkens.

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5. Ladle in 150 ml of the pasta water and simmer 2 minutes to make a loose sauce.

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6. Add the drained pasta and toss hard over the heat for a full minute, adding more pasta water as needed, until the sauce turns glossy and coats every strand.

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7. Take off the heat, fold in the tuna, lemon zest, juice and parsley, and season. Fold gently so the tuna stays in pieces rather than shredding.

   Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• Tuna in oil, not brine. Brine-packed tuna is drier and the liquid is no use to you.
• Tuna in off the heat, folded not stirred. Cooked further it goes chalky.
• No cheese. This is a southern Italian seafood pasta and Parmigiano fights it.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• A green salad
• A cold Vermentino
• Grilled bread

Storage & Reheating

Best immediately. Refrigerated for 2 days; loosen with a splash of water and warm gently.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.