CCRC's Lockdown Cookbook
UNSW Climate Change Research Centre Lockdown Recipes
Fusilli al tonno (aka Cheap Easy Tuna Pasta)
Preparation time: 30 minutes at most
Submitted by Stephen Gray
Background
I first stumbled on this dish back in my undergraduate days at the legendary Bar Italia on Norton St, Leichhardt. Its one of those Italian gems where the end result is sublime, despite the recipe being just a few ingredients thrown together easily. Being a student I was always on the lookout for cheap and easy meals to cook at home. More than 20 years later, this is still an almost weekly staple and my partner beams that it his "favourite meal ever" whenever I cook it.
Ingredients
Serves 2
- 1 x 185g can of tuna in oil (Aldi brand works great in this recipe)
- 1 x 400g can of peeled tomatoes (not diced, not chopped, not flavoured. Reach for the best Italian brand you can find)
- 4 cloves of garlic
- Olive oil
- 1 or 2 tsp of capers
- A small sprinkle of dried oregano or basil
- Salt and pepper to season
- Fusilli or your pasta of choice
- Parmesan to serve
Instructions
-
Mince the garlic and lightly fry in olive oil. Tip in the canned tomato and mix to break them up a little. Add a small sprinkle of dried oregano or basil. Don't over do it. Add salt. Simmer gently for a few minutes while putting a big pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta. Add tuna (including the oil in the can) to the tomato sauce. Stir periodically. Add pasta to rapidly boiling water and cook until al dente. Add capers to the tomato sauce for the last 5 minutes of simmering. Serve with cracked pepper and parmesan.