A dish so tasty, like Host Valerio, you’ll come back to it time and time again.

A real comfort! This tuna pasta is the first dish host Valerio learned to make after leaving his Italian Mamma’s house, and now he’s sharing his go-to recipe with us.

Valerio's Tuna Pasta
Valerio’s Tuna Pasta

Tuna pasta brought me comfort when I was not home. Then, it made regular appearances at the table when I lived with my flatmate. We were hungry minds in need of energy, had a low budget and enjoyed cooking together. I then began cooking it frequently when I came home from work after supermarkets had already closed. Even now, I still whip it up from time to time because is tasty, it makes feel younger and brings me good memories with great people.

Host Valerio
Valerio: Mise en place
Valerio: Adding the sauce
Valerio: Add the pasta

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Spaghetti (alternative: any other pasta format)
  • 1 lb Tomato sauce
  • 5 oz Canned tuna fish in oil (drained)
  • 1/2 cloves Garlic (alternative: half an onion)
  • Fresh Basil (alternative: parsley) – to taste
  • Salt – to taste
  • Black pepper – to taste
  • Chili red pepper – to taste

Instructions

  1. Boil around 3 or 4 liters of tap water in a sufficiently large pot.
  2. While waiting for the water to boil, prepare the sauce: drain the tuna, so as to eliminate the conservation oil.
  3. Press the garlic clove with the back of your hand, so to release its taste. Add the garlic to a pan with low heat to sizzle with extra virgin olive oil until the garlic clove gets golden.
  4. Add the well-drained tuna to the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes. Add black pepper, chili pepper, and salt to taste. Stir.
  5. Pour the tomato sauce into the pan, leave to cook for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally with a spoon.
  6. In the meantime, add a handful of salt when water starts to boil.
  7. Cook the spaghetti in the boiling salted water for around 12 minutes (check the cooking time suggested on the box). Do not overcook them! Pasta and Spaghetti must be “al dente”.
  8. Drain spaghetti and pour them in the pan with the sauce.
  9. Cook for just one minute, then stir energetically so to mix spaghetti with the sauce.
  10. Before serving, add few fresh basil leaves on top. Your pasta with tuna is ready to be eaten.

Buon appetito!

Learn more about host Valerio and his experiences in Venice here.