There are so many things I love about this dish, but what I love most is that it’s made from basic pantry ingredients, so it can be made on the fly when you really don’t want to go shopping for food. It’s in the spirit of the classic linguine with clams, but made with canned tuna instead. Because of the simplicity of this dish, the quality of all the ingredients is critical to the final result. The breadcrumbs are optional but do add great texture.
Recipe information
Yield
SERVES 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook for 2 minutes less than the package instructs. Reserve about 1 1/2 cups pasta water, then drain the pasta (do not rinse).
Step 2
Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft but have not taken on any color, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, and chile flakes and sauté until the garlic has softened, about 2 minutes longer.
Step 3
Add the tuna, juices and all, and the capers. With a wooden spoon, break the tuna up into small pieces as you stir the mixture.
Step 4
Transfer this mixture to the empty pasta pot (no need to rinse it first) along with the spaghetti and 1 cup of the pasta water. Put the pot over medium heat and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the pasta absorbs the water and is just al dente, about 1 to 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat.
Step 5
Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, the parsley, and the lemon zest and juice. Add another 1/4 cup pasta water to moisten; add another tablespoon or so if it still seems too dry.
Step 6
Sprinkle each portion with breadcrumbs.
TIP
Step 7
I make the breadcrumbs by slicing day-old, quality bread into 1/4-inch rounds, brushing with extra-virgin olive oil, and baking in a 375°F oven until crisp and lightly colored. Once cool, I crush them with the back of a frying pan until coarse; they should not be uniform in size.
