Fedelini with Tuna Ragu

Name: Fedelini with Tuna Ragu
Ingredients: 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes; 1 large clove garlic, lightly crushed; 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley; 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil; 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste; 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1 (2.8-ounce) can top-quality imported Italian or Spanish solid tuna in olive oil, not drained; 1 or 2 best-quality imported Italian or Spanish anchovy fillets in olive oil, coarsely chopped; 1 teaspoon capers, drained and minced; 3 ounces dried fedelini or cappellini (angel hair pasta)

December 14, 2011

My friend Domenica Marchetti knows her pasta. She’s the author of several fantastic books on Italian cooking, but the latest, The Glorious Pastas of Italy, is probably the closest to her heart, so I had to ask her what kind of dish this mother and wife might make for herself on a night she’s alone. She picked something that she grew up with, that her family made just once a year as part of the traditional Italian “feast of the seven fishes” on Christmas Eve. It dawned on her that she didn’t need to wait for the holidays to make it, and now, neither do I. It’s right up my alley. In fact, the day she sent me the recipe, I looked in my fridge and pantry to confirm I had every single ingredient on hand. I couldn’t help but smile; dinner was sealed, deliciously.

Cooks' Note

Any leftover sauce makes a delicious topping for bruschetta or crostini.

Ingredients

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 large clove garlic, lightly crushed

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 (2.8-ounce) can top-quality imported Italian or Spanish solid tuna in olive oil, not drained

1 or 2 best-quality imported Italian or Spanish anchovy fillets in olive oil, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon capers, drained and minced

3 ounces dried fedelini or cappellini (angel hair pasta)

Preparation

Step 1
Pour the tomatoes and their juices into a medium heavy saucepan and use a wooden spoon to mash them up a bit. Add the garlic, 1 teaspoon of the parsley, the olive oil, salt, and red pepper flakes. Turn the heat on to medium and bring to a simmer. Decrease the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have thickened to a sauce consistency, about 20 minutes. (Reduce the heat to low if necessary to keep the sauce at a gentle simmer.)
Step 2
Stir in the tuna, anchovies, capers, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of parsley. Cook until the sauce is heated through and the ingredients have all melded together nicely, another 3 to 5 minutes.
Step 3
While the sauce is cooking, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and stir to separate the noodles. Cook, according to the manufacturer’s instructions, until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
Step 4
Return the pasta to the pot and spoon some of the sauce over it. Toss well to thoroughly coat the noodles, adding a splash or two of the reserved cooking liquid if necessary to loosen the sauce. Transfer the pasta to a bowl, top with additional sauce, and eat.

Cover of Joe Yonan's cookbook Serve Yourself Featuring a cherry tomato and squid stir fry.

Reprinted with permission from Serve Yourself: Nightly Adventures in Cooking for One by Joe Yonan. Copyright © 2011 by Joe Yonan. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc. Buy the full book at Amazon or AbeBooks.

TagsPasta Capellini Italian European Canned Tomato Tomato Vegetable Tuna Fish Seafood Main Dinner Dairy Free Nut Free Quick Easy Weeknight Meals Simmer Cookbooks

Ingredients

Preparation

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Recipe notes