Equipment
Ingredients
Pasta
- 400 g spaghetti, dried
- 4000 ml water
- 25 g sea salt
Sauce
- 45 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 g chili flakes
- 400 g canned cherry tomatoes, with juices
- 300 g tuna in olive oil, drained
- 80 g kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- 30 g capers, rinsed
Finishing
- 15 g fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 lemon zest
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 708 kcal
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbohydrates
- 80 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fiber
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 7 g
- Sodium
- 2993 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 10 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 14 mg
- Potassium
- 650 mg
- Calcium
- 77 mg
- Iron
- 4.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 50 mg
- Phosphorus
- 439 mg
- Zinc
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin A
- 24 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 20 mg
- Vitamin E
- 1.9 mg
- Vitamin K
- 71 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.6 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.05 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.12 mg
- Niacin
- 9.5 mg
- Folate
- 11 mcg
- Water
- 1057 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Bring a large stockpot of water to a rolling boil. While heating, slice the garlic, halve the olives, and chop the parsley.
Once boiling, add the salt and the spaghetti. Cook according to package directions, but subtract 2 minutes from the recommended cooking time to ensure it is very al dente (it will finish cooking in the sauce).
While pasta cooks, heat 30ml of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced garlic and chili flakes. Sauté gently until garlic is pale gold and fragrant, being careful not to burn it.
Add the canned tomatoes (and their juices) and capers to the skillet. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer briskly to reduce the liquid slightly while crushing the tomatoes with the back of a spoon.
Reduce heat to low. Stir in the drained tuna and olives. Break the tuna into large chunks but do not shred it completely. Warm through gently for 1 minute to preserve the tuna's texture.
Reserve 120ml (approx half a cup) of starchy pasta water. Drain the pasta and immediately transfer it directly into the skillet with the sauce.
Toss the pasta vigorously in the sauce over medium heat, adding reserved pasta water a splash at a time until a glossy emulsion coats the noodles. Stir in half the parsley and the lemon zest.
Remove from heat. Drizzle with the remaining 15ml of fresh olive oil and garnish with the remaining parsley before serving immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Use tuna packed in olive oil, not water. The oil carries flavor and helps emulsify the sauce. If you use high-end jarred tuna, you can even use the oil from the jar for the sauté step.
- Do not rinse the capers too aggressively; a little residual brine adds a nice depth to the sauce, functioning as liquid salt.
- The secret to this dish is the 'mantecatura' (step 7)—vigorously tossing the pasta with the sauce and starch water creates a creamy texture without any dairy.
- If you prefer a 'bianco' (white) version, omit the tomatoes and use 60ml of white wine and extra pasta water instead.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Pasta may absorb sauce and soften; reheat with a splash of water.
Reheating: Gently warm in a pan over low heat with a tablespoon of water or olive oil.
Troubleshooting
Sauce is too dry or sticky
Cause: Pasta absorbed too much liquid or not enough pasta water was added
Fix: Add a splash of hot water or olive oil and toss vigorously
Prevention: Always reserve more pasta water than you think you need
Tuna is dry and chalky
Cause: Tuna was cooked for too long in the sauce
Fix: Add extra olive oil to mask the dryness
Prevention: Add tuna only at the very end, just to warm it through
Garlic tastes bitter
Cause: Garlic was burned during the initial sauté
Fix: Cannot be fixed; must restart the base aromatic step
Prevention: Add tomatoes immediately once garlic turns pale gold to stop the cooking
Cultural Context
This dish is a classic example of Italian 'cucina povera' (cooking of the poor), relying on shelf-stable pantry ingredients to create a nutritious meal. While specific regional variations exist from Rome to Sicily, the combination of tuna and olive oil is a universal staple of Italian coastal home cooking.
