Pasta con Tonno

Thanks to today’s Pasta Con Tonno, everyone’s favorite, classic tuna and noodle pairing just got a fresh and deliciously gourmet update!

But don’t let the word “gourmet” scare you off…this recipe is so easy to make. And the zesty flavors in this dish are so lip-smacking good, you’ll swear you’re eating a gourmet meal at a restaurant!

The key to this Pasta Con Tonno is to use a flavorful tuna packed in olive oil. It’s typically found in golden cans at the supermarket right next to the regular cans of tuna (often labeled “tonno in olive oil”).

The tuna is combined with sautéed onions, green bell pepper, diced tomatoes and chopped fresh Italian parsley – then tossed with pasta (we used pipe rigate but shell pasta is a good substitute if you can’t find that), plus fresh basil and Romano cheese.

I loved this Pasta Con Tonno so much, I was sopping up every last drop of the sauce on my plate with crusty Italian bread. (And I ate all of the leftovers the following day!)

Pasta con Tonno

• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 12 ounces dry Pipe Rigate pasta (sea shells would be a close substitute)
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 cup onions, diced
• 1 cup green bell peppers, diced
• 2 tablespoons fresh garlic, chopped (about 5 or 6 cloves)
• 2 5-ounce cans tuna packed in olive oil, drained (Also called tonno in olive oil – found next to the canned tuna at the market. Look for gold cans)
• 2 cup fresh garden tomatoes, seeded, cored and diced (any plump, juicy variety)
• ¼ cup flat leaf Italian parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper
• ¼ to ½ cup pasta water
• ¾ cup Romano cheese grated, plus more for serving.
• ½ cup fresh basil, chopped

Instructions

1. Bring well-salted pasta water to boil and pour in dry pasta. Cook to about two minutes less than done. The pasta should still be chewy.
2. In a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat, add two tablespoons of olive oil and once hot add onions and peppers. Sauté for eight minutes.
3. Add two more tablespoons of oil and add garlic and drained tuna and cook for two minutes, being careful not to break up the chunks of tuna too much.
4. Add two more tablespoons of oil and add tomatoes, parsley, salt and pepper and cook for two minutes.
5. Using a spider or strainer, scoop out pasta and add to skillet. Add one quarter cup of pasta water and cook over medium heat until pasta is fully cooked, adding more pasta water only if needed.
6. Stir in Romano cheese and chopped fresh basil and serve. Sprinkle additional Romano on top before serving and serve additional Romano on the side.

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