This recipe has been hiding out on the margins of my blog. I’ve not made it in some time and I had forgotten how great this meal is. It’s salty and sweet with the pancetta, tangy with the caperberries and lemon and crunchy with the pine nuts. It has great mouth feel and taste so you are warned, it’s hard to stop eating. It can be made in 30 minutes if you are comfortable cooking and cutting at the same time. If you’re not, then you may want to prep the ingredients first. The directions below will be the way I made the dish so you’ll get an idea if you want to do it that way.
Mediterranean Tuna Pasta ©Diane Eblin
Ingredients:
5-15 ounces of Tuna in oil or 1 can oil, 1 can water (I like pole caught American Tuna in water, Italian or Spanish tuna in oil)
6 caperberries sliced (use capers if you can’t find the berries)
1-2 large Cippolini onions but shallots will work just as well
2 TB Lemon oil or 1 lemon juiced and extra virgin olive oil
6 slices of pancetta diced (can sub uncured bacon, make sure it’s gluten free)
1 cup white wine
1 tsp arrowroot to make slurry (mix with double amount cold water)
2 tsp Bonnes Herbs from Penzeys (chives, dill weed, basil, French tarragon, chervil, white pepper)
1 cup pine nuts toasted
Sea Salt & Pepper to taste
1 box Quinoa Spaghetti
1 can or frozen bag of artichokes
Directions:
First thing fill you pot with filtered water to cook your pasta. Put a lid on it and turn up the heat to high. Make sure you get out your colander and it’s waiting beside the sink. While that starts to heat up put a small pan on medium with the pine nuts. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn and every once in a while give them a toss. Now get out a big cutting board so you can prep and keep it all in one place. Also get a good sized fry pan with sides on medium high.
On the cutting board dice up the pancetta and toss it into the fry pan. Keep an eye on it and give it a stir every once in a while. Next dice up your onions and garlic, slice the caperberries and cut the artichoke hearts in half. Put a tsp of arrowroot into a small ramiken so it will be ready when you need it. Now make sure your wine bottle is open and ready to pour. If you need to measure do it now, I just pour until I like the amount of liquid in the pan for the sauce. Don’t forget the cook gets a glass too!
Don’t forget to keep an eye on the pancetta. When it starts to brown add in the onion and garlic. If your water starts to boil, season the water with salt and toss in the pasta. Give it a good stir to keep it from sticking, turn on the timer.
Next open your cans of tuna so they are ready and if your lemon oil is in the refrigerator grab it out so it can start to melt. Your pine nuts should be toasted by now so take them off the burner and pour into a bowl. This will be the last ingredient you add before serving this dish.
Making sure your main fry pan is not burning, add in the caperberries and artichokes to heat up. After a few minutes, add in the tuna and lemon oil. If you don’t have this oil and you are using lemons, don’t squeeze in the juice until the very end. Let that heat through, add in the herbs and wine, salt and pepper. Let the liquid come up to a bowl and add in your arrowroot slurry. Keep an eye on this and stir as it will thicken quickly. Turn off the burner now.
Somewhere while all of this going on your pasta will be done and you will have drained the pot. Now toss the pasta into the fry pan and add the pine nuts. Combine well and toss into serving dish.
Or, prep everything ahead of time and cook in the same order but at a little more relaxed pace. Serve this dish up with
This sounds delicious. On a tuna kick lately 🙂
This looks great! It's got all my favorite flavors.
This looks great! It’s got all my favorite flavors.
This sounds delicious. On a tuna kick lately 🙂
This sounds good. Interesting, but good. I didn't see artichokes in the list of ingredients. How much do you use?
This sounds good. Interesting, but good. I didn’t see artichokes in the list of ingredients. How much do you use?
Linda- good catch! I've added that info. Can't believe I left out a main ingredient. Thanks.
Alisa- I love tuna too but I have to be careful I don't over do it. The amount of mercury is less in pole caught tuna, but it still adds up.
Nancy- Mine too!
Linda- good catch! I’ve added that info. Can’t believe I left out a main ingredient. Thanks.
Alisa- I love tuna too but I have to be careful I don’t over do it. The amount of mercury is less in pole caught tuna, but it still adds up.
Nancy- Mine too!
We love tuna in my house, I should try this I'm sure it would be a hit. What a nice quick fix as well. Always need those.
We love tuna in my house, I should try this I’m sure it would be a hit. What a nice quick fix as well. Always need those.
This looks wonderful! We love tuna casseroles but haven't tried artichokes and pine nuts! I will absolutely have to make this soon.
This looks wonderful! We love tuna casseroles but haven’t tried artichokes and pine nuts! I will absolutely have to make this soon.
Looks terrific, Diane! One of hubby's favorite dishes is tuna casserole and I enjoy it myself. This looks like quite the upscale version. 😉
Thanks,
Shirley
Looks terrific, Diane! One of hubby’s favorite dishes is tuna casserole and I enjoy it myself. This looks like quite the upscale version. 😉
Thanks,
Shirley
Artichokes, Mmmmm! I just had a noodle dish for dinner but I'm going to have to try this version. Thanks
Artichokes, Mmmmm! I just had a noodle dish for dinner but I’m going to have to try this version. Thanks
Great combination of flavors. It looks delicious.
Great combination of flavors. It looks delicious.
Where do you find American pole caught tuna and the quinoa spaghetti and the herbs. I am new to all of this, but it sounds very good.
Courtney- I purchase mine at Whole Foods. There is a link about the company within the post. You can always contact the company too if there is no WF near you. I also get the pasta there but you can buy that online in my Amazon store and many other place.
Where do you find American pole caught tuna and the quinoa spaghetti and the herbs. I am new to all of this, but it sounds very good.
Courtney- I purchase mine at Whole Foods. There is a link about the company within the post. You can always contact the company too if there is no WF near you. I also get the pasta there but you can buy that online in my Amazon store and many other place.