Pasta With Tuna, Capers and Scallions

Name: Pasta With Tuna, Capers and Scallions
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 3 to 4 servings
Ingredients: Salt; 12 ounces long, thin pasta, such as bucatini, spaghetti or linguine; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 3 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated; 6 to 10 anchovies, chopped; 3 tablespoons drained capers; 1 cup torn fresh herbs, such as parsley and dill, or celery leaves, plus more for serving (optional); 1 (5- or 6-ounce) can tuna, drained; Red-pepper flakes, for serving; Lemon wedges, for serving

By Melissa Clark

Published Nov. 12, 2022

Pasta With Tuna, Capers and Scallions — Julia Gartland for The New York Times. (Photography and Styling)

Total Time: 30 minutes
Rating: 4(3,725)
Comments: Read comments

There are about a gazillion ways to cook pasta using other pantry staples — things like garlic, bread crumbs, pecorino, capers, olives and especially, canned fish. This recipe, pasta with tuna, anchovies and capers, showered with lots of green herbs and scallions, is one of my family’s household favorites. I like it with a long, thin, twirlable pasta — spaghetti, linguine or bucatini — but you can use whatever pasta you have on hand. Even macaroni works just fine and might even persuade your finicky kid to eat this dish (though, so far, mine abstains).

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Ingredients

Yield:3 to 4 servings

Salt
12ounces long, thin pasta, such as bucatini, spaghetti or linguine
3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
6 to 10anchovies, chopped
3tablespoons drained capers
1cup torn fresh herbs, such as parsley and dill, or celery leaves, plus more for serving (optional)
1(5- or 6-ounce) can tuna, drained
Red-pepper flakes, for serving
Lemon wedges, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
In a well-salted pot of boiling water, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain, saving 1 cup pasta water.
Step 2
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium. Add garlic and scallion whites, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add anchovies and capers and cook until anchovies melt and capers and garlic turn golden, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Add ½ cup pasta water, let it reduce until there is just a little left in the pan, then add pasta and herbs and toss well to coat. Add tuna and toss well.
Step 3
Serve with red-pepper flakes on top, more herbs, scallion greens, and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing.

Ratings

4 out of 5

3,725 user ratings

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Comments

ncm5 years ago

This is very similar to a pasta that my friend, Cristina used to cook for us in Sardinia. She added a lemon rind, either julienned or zested, and had a different approach to cooking: In a bowl mix together the lemon rind,tuna,capers, olives and anchovies (or a dollop of anchovy paste) and set aside. Cook the pasta according to package directions and meantime, in a large frying pan cook the garlic and pepperoncino (red-pepper flakes) in olive oil till the garlic turns golden - don’t let it burn!

Jed4 years ago

Nice, but double the garlic, double the scallions, and use the entire box of pasta - 16 ounces, which is how pasta is sold. Please, Melissa, write pasta recipes without weirdly oddball amounts of ingredients. Write for the way people shop and eat.

Diane from Philly5 years ago

Great recipe, easily adapted, and most importantly, it follows Marcella Hazan's timeless advise to NOT COOK the canned tuna when used in such recipes. Makes a world of difference. Thanks!

Annabella1 week ago

Delicioso! But beware of using highly salted pasta water to thin the sauce. With 6-10 anchovies, you will have a salty mess.

Elaine Johnson2 weeks ago

A great addition to my pasta rotation! Pure pantry goodness. I upped the anchovies a bit, since mine are mild, but thoroughly enjoyed the combination of flavors. And so easy to put together.

Scott Carlisle2 weeks ago

It seems as if these recipes are designed for somewhat speedy cooking. For good reason, no doubt. Sometimes you just wanna get food cooked But it makes me think would they benefit from a longer and slowing cooking time for certain parts of it to enrich the flavors. Perhaps there should be two recipes: one for speed and one for full flavor with more time.

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