Tuna Penne Pasta

Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients  – so long as you have some onion, tomato and a tin of tuna you can make a good sauce to go with the pasta. Adding any of the optional ingredients will build new layers of flavour – if you use these the result will be outstanding rather than just very good.

WDC style of tomato-based pasta sauces are thinner and less ‘tomatoey’ than many sauces one sees. Thick red gloopy tomato sauces are a hangover from tinned spaghetti, or spaghetti bolognese made with too many tins of tomatoes.

Tinned tuna will quickly break-up in the sauce. You can use this to your advantage so it is amalgamated into the sauce – or you can save some chunks for adding at the last minute. I do both.

Don’t be tempted to use the oil either in a tin of tuna or the tin of anchovies. Both are very fishy and will spoil the sauce.

Simple sauce recipe

1. Cook the pasta. Follow the instructions and the packet. Before draining reserve some of the cooking water.
2. Start a saute. Chop the garlic, and onion, and cook on medium heat in a large sauce pan for 10 minutes.
3. Add the tomato, liquid and herbs. Add the tinned tomatoes or passata or chop the fresh tomatoes in half and add to the pan. Add the stock or water and oregano, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove the tomato skins.
4. Add the courgettes and parsley. Chop the courgettes into fairly small pieces and add to the pan. Add the parsley. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Finish the sauce. Add the tuna and simmer for a few more minutes. Add the drained pasta and toss – add cooking water to loosen the sauce if necessary. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Method using all the preferred ingredients

1. Cook the pasta. Follow the instructions and the packet. Before draining reserve some of the cooking water.
2. Start a saute. Chop the bacon, garlic, onion, celery and chilli and cook on medium heat in a large sauce pan for 10 minutes. Add the anchovy fillets and stir until they break-up.
3. Add the tomato, liquid and herbs. Add the fresh tomatoes sliced in half, the sherry vinegar, tomato puree, sugar, stock, bay leaves, rosemary and oregano, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove the tomato skins.
4. Add the courgettes. Chop the courgettes into fairly small pieces and add to the pan. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Finish the sauce. Add the prawns and cook for 2 minutes, add the tuna and capers and simmer for a few more minutes. Add the drained pasta and toss – add cooking water to loosen the sauce if necessary. Season with black pepper (check for salt as the bacon, capers and anchovies are very salty).
6. Serve. Garnish with black olives and parsley.