Pasta with a simple tinned tomato sauce has been a staple of mine since I first taught myself to cook at university cough 20 years ago, and this purely store-cupboard version with tinned tuna is my absolute favourite. The olives are optional; the capers are not.
Ingredients
1 x ~150 tin of tuna (chunks or steak) in olive oil, drained (reserve the oil)
1 clove garlic, sliced
2 tbsp capers
pinch chilli flakes (optional)
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes + pinch caster sugar
handful, apron 40g black kalamata olives, stoned and halved
Handful fresh herbs - oregano, parsley or chives, finely chopped
180g dried pasta, I like fusilli or rigatoni for this sauce
Salt and pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil to serve
Instructions
First make your sauce. Heat the oil from the tuna in a frying or saucepan big enough to take the pasta and the sauce over a medium heat. Fry the garlic, capers and chilli flakes for around 30 seconds till starting to colour, then add the tomatoes, sugar, season with salt and bring to the boil, then simmer gently for around 10-15 minutes (or longer if you can the sauce will benefit from it).
Meanwhile bring a large salted saucepan of water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the timing recommended on the packet (approx 10 mins).
When the pasta is almost ready, add the tuna and olives to the sauce, and continue to cook till everything is piping hot.
Drain the pasta and add into the sauce, season to taste. Plate up and sprinkle over your herbs and an extra drizzle of good quality olive oil.
Notes
I don't add Parmesan cheese to fish based sauces, but will happily eat shavings of it on-top of a rocket salad on the side!
Recipe by Ceri Jones Chef at https://cerijoneschef.com/pasta-with-tuna-tomatoes-and-capers/