heatwave dinner – lemony tuna pasta

Yesterday was a very hot day again (+29C/+84F) and I didn’t feel to make my way to the supermarket. So I thought I would do a Tuna Salad, I do a fantastic Tuna Salad by the way, but I have eaten quite a few of them lately.

So I went online to see if I could find an interesting recipe for my frozen tuna and straight away Google provided me with this recipe. It talked to me at once. With all the ingredients at home … so that was it, lemony tuna and pasta it was.

I was afraid that the dish was going to be a bit too tangy from all those lemon slices, used 7 for my piece of tuna (4 on the bottom and 3 on top). But it came out perfect.

What I understand from Google works this recipe with can tuna too, they have loads of versions on this recipe using canned tuna.

I used frozen white wine and because of that I add 2 tsp sugar to the “dressing” – it was far too sour without. And maybe it was the sugar in the dressing that softens the lemon flavor a bit.

In Sweden we can’t get fresh as in fresh tuna, it comes fresh vacuum packed from somewhere. In Landskrona, we can’t even get that so I buy frozen white flesh tuna – 2 steaks to the pack. Spot on.

It takes about 15 min to prepare the dish and 15 min to cook, so this is a QuickFix!

Lemony Tuna Olive Oil Pasta, serves 1

• 200 gr (6oz) tuna steak, fresh or frozen
• 100 gr (3,5 oz) dried tagliatelle or any pasta you fancy
• 1 lemon sliced (use 4 slices under the salmon and 3 on top)
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) white wine + 10 ml (2tsp) sugar
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) Italian parsley chopped (use frozen)
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) reserved pasta water
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper to taste (I use my fine fish spice mix that I buy from the fishmonger – don’t have clue what is in the mix – a fantastic product)
• shaved parmesan cheese for serving

1. Preheat the oven to +180C (+375F). Bring a big pot of water with salt and a little amount of olive oil the boil.
2. In a small bowl combine the crushed garlic, red pepper flakes, wine (sugar if you are like me) and the oil. Whisk it well together.
3. On a piece of foil lay few lemon slices and place the tuna on top, seasoning to liking and top with lemon slices.
4. Pour the dressing over the salmon – all of it!!!
5. Make sure that foil is properly closed, so the no flavors or juice escaping. Place the parcel on a rimmed sheet pan.  Place in the middle of the oven.
6. It will take about 15 -20 min (for me perfect temperature for tuna is +43C/100F – because the tuna will after cook when it is out of the oven)
7. When 7 min has elapsed since the fish been in the oven, drop the pasta into the pot and cook as directed on the package, about 7 min.
8. Save some of the starchy pasta water when draining the pasta.
9. When the tuna is cooked to liking (I like mine slightly pink, but not raw. Carefully open the parcel and take out the fish and lemon slices. All juice in the parcel is to be used.
10. Break apart the tuna into bite-size pieces,
11. Combine the cooking juice with the pasta water.
12. Add the parsley, tuna chunks and the dressing. Toss together and top with the shaved parmesan.

I think most of us have all the ingredients at home that is required here and it’s so hassle-free to make and not a lot of washing up.

The dish in itself is not very colorful … but it is full of flavors and I had loads of sunshine in my plate.

I really like this dish and I will do it soon again. I used the tagliatelle instead of spaghetti, as used in the original recipe. Use any pasta you want.

I found the recipe on simply scratch. Laurie is the name of the young lady that runs the blog.

Grazie, Laurie.!!!!

“Life is a combination of magic and pasta.”
Federico Fellini