While a complicated dish is in the making, a can of tuna had to step up and fill our hungry bellies.
Only a few ingredients: 3 medium sized ripe tomatoes, 1TBS of tomato paste, 1-2 TBS of fragrant dried oregano, 2 large yellow onions (sliced into large rings), 300g of rigatoni (Garofalo), 2 cans of tuna packed in olive oil, lemon zest and juice (optional), salt, freshly milled black pepper and water for cooking
Preparation is also simple but can take a while. This is a kind of dish where you can take it in different directions depending on the ingredients you use. We chose onion as our base, it would be a different dish if garlic was used as the base. Also the use of grated lemon zest and juice takes it in an other direction. Many options here, like turning knobs on a control panel of some device.
A large frying skillet -> 2 TBS of olive oil -> low heat -> in with the sliced onion rings -> sautee the onions for 20 minutes to develop flavor -> add some of the oregano, not all -> when the onions get some color and are soft add the chopped tomatoes and the tomato paste -> add salt and black pepper -> add some water -> bring it to a boil -> add the pasta, will be cooked "pasta risottata" style -> as the water evaporates add more with a ladle -> use a rubber spatula to turn the pasta so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the skillet -> when the pasta is al dente add the chunks of canned tuna and some nice olive oil, if you are using good quality canned tuna the olive oil that it is packed in can also be used because it is already infused with the aroma of cooked tuna but this is also an optional step -> remove from heat and toss to bring out the creaminess -> add a bit of grated lemon skin and lemon juice (optional as it will turn it into a different dish) and the rest of the oregano -> check for salt, pepper and olive oil -> plate up and enjoy
A surprisingly aromatic and complex dish considering we only used a handful of ingredients. Almost like a delicious fish stew served with pasta.
No grated cheese (😉), no salted anchovies, no chopped parsley, no olives or capers.
😋
by One-Loss-6497