Canned Tuna: The Saga

When I started cooking for I came up with a simple and yummy pasta with tuna dish that I would make for lunch on the weekends fairly frequently. It is simple because it takes very little time to prepare and because it has only a few ingredients all of which I tend to always have on hand: pasta, a can of tuna, mayonnaise, onion, salt and pepper. The dish is fairly self explanatory based on the list of ingredients, but basically I would cook the pasta and then drain it. I would then mix it with a drained can of tuna, some diced onion, some mayonnaise, and season it with salt and pepper. I love it; however, when I introduced Russ to it he did not like it at all. He has named it “Tuna Surprise” and won’t have anything to do with it. His reaction to my beloved “Tuna Surprise” was and is still so strong that he doesn’t want to eat anything involving a can of tuna for fear of it being ever so slightly similar to my tuna dish. Well, after an almost three year hiatus from canned tuna we finally gave it another go in a new recipe tonight.

Russ spoiled me on my birthday this year including giving me two Jamie Oliver cookbooks. We both love Jamie Oliver and have a renewed interest in him after becoming hooked on his new show on the Food Network, Jamie at Home. I have been flipping through both of my new cookbooks, Cook with Jamie and Jamie’s Italy, and ran across a simple pasta with tuna dish that looked very tasty! I showed Russ the recipe and the picture of the dish and while he was hesitant he said he’d be okay adding it to the menu this week. Yeah! I gave it a go tonight and I think I can safely say we are back to eating canned tuna again!

To make the dish you start by chopping the red onion and basil stalks and then sautéing them in a little olive oil with the cinnamon. Once the onions are soft and a little sweet you add the tuna, tomatoes and their juices, and a little salt. Let this simmer for about 20 minutes. Cook the pasta until it is al dente and then drain it. Add the torn basil leaves, lemon zest, lemon juice, a little olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and pasta to the sauce. Toss it all together and taste for seasoning. I added a little more salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Russ and I both enjoyed this dish. It is a simple, light pasta dish with great flavor from the cinnamon and basil. While the cinnamon seemed a little odd to me it worked really well in the dish and added some real depth and warmth to the seasoning. The torn basil leaves added near the end give it a pop of color and a fresh burst of flavor. I served it with a side of steamed broccoli. We both really enjoyed this meal! Russ rates it a 9.

Jools’ Favorite Saturday Afternoon Pasta, Cook with Jamie
Serves 4

Olive oil
1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 – 2 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
1 level teaspoon ground cinnamon
A bunch of fresh basil leaves picked, stalks chopped
2 x 14 oz. cans good quality plum tomatoes
2 x 10 oz. cans good quality tuna in olive oil, drained and flaked
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1lb. 2 oz. good quality rigatoni or penne
Zest and juice of 1 – 2 lemons
A small handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat a splash of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and cook the onion, chilli, cinnamon, and basil stalks on a medium to low heat for 5 minutes until the onion has softened and is slightly sweet. Turn up the heat and add your tomatoes, tuna, and a good pinch of salt. Break the tomatoes up using the back of a spoon, then bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning.

Meanwhile, cook the rigatoni in a pan of salted boiling water according to package instructions. When al dente, drain the pasta in a colander, reserving some of the cooking water. Toss the pasta into the tuna and tomato sauce with the roughly torn basil leaves, a glug of olive oil, the lemon zest and juice, and Parmesan and mix together well. Loosen the pasta with a little of the reserved cooking water if needed. Check the seasoning and serve immediately.

My Notes: I left out the chillies since I could not find them at the store. I cut the recipe in half since it was just for the two of us.

Picture Notes: My Venezuelan brother, Ernesto, was in town for a visit this past week. Ernesto, Russ, and I went with Mom and Dad to the Oklahoma vs. Louisville NCAA game together. It was a lot of fun except poor OU didn't play very well.