Michelle’s Spaghetti al Tonno

Serves 4

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Ingredients

• 2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

• 2 14 oz. cans of tomato puree 

• 2 tablespoons small capers

• Dried basil and oregano

• Salt

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

• 1 box of spaghetti 

• Extra virgin olive oil

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 14 oz. tuna in olive oil (best quality is the jarred fillets)

• Red pepper flakes

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1. But a large salted pot of water to boil.

2. Mince garlic and halve tomatoes. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a frying pan.

3. Get the pasta cooking, ideally it will finish the same time as your sauce (6-7 minutes – if you have thinner spaghetti drain when al dente and set aside with a little olive oil so it doesn’t stick together). Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.

4. Add garlic to the heated oil and stir constantly, making sure not to burn. After about 30 seconds, when you can “hear the garlic sign” (when it starts to smell like heaven), add in the tuna (and all of the olive oil from the jar/can) and break up if necessary. Sprinkle in red pepper flakes to taste. Let this pop and sizzle for a minute.

5. Add in halved tomatoes and let sauce simmer and marry together for another minute, stirring occasionally. 

6. Add in tomato sauce, capers, and then the oregano and basil to taste (about a teaspoon each), and ½ cup of the conserved pasta water. Stir everything together and turn the heat on high for a minute to simmer down the sauce. Add in additional pasta water if necessary.

7. Turn heat back to medium and add in the cooked pasta. Mix everything together then remove from heat. Finally, add in the chopped fresh parsley and season with sea salt to taste.