Long time no blog! Hi guys, remember me?!
Sorry for the radio silence over most of August. I just needed some non-tech time. Plus, by August I usually lose my cooking mojo. I just kinda give up, start snacking on cut up fruit and fresh veg and call it dinner.
But it is September now, and I have to snap out of it. I’m not ready for Autumn cooking just yet. And neither are the markets and grocery stores. There are still plenty of peaches, tomatoes, plums, berries and corn to cook with. So it will still be a couple of weeks before I switch over my head, and my kitchen to embrace all the braises, stews, roasts etc.
Having said all of this, I’m just going to share a great little go-to recipe that I rely on for when I lose any imagination or desire to come up with something new. It is an easy 30 minutes or under kind of recipe, so it’s perfect for the hectic life that happens during the week. And best of all, this recipe relies totally on pantry staples. No need to run out to the market or specialty store to pick up that one item that you don’t usually have on hand.
Drumroll… you will need a lemon, a jar or can of chunk tuna, olive oil, chilli flakes, parsley, onion, garlic, and breadcrumbs. Oh, and spaghetti. Yep, pretty easy, right? Here are my suggestions to make it even better: If you can, try and source the chunk tuna in glass jars, often Italian in nature. Sometimes these are packed in olive oil. This tuna will just take this dish up a notch flavour-wise. Next time you are grocery shopping, see if you can find a few jars, and buy them all. Having these in the pantry means that you can also through together a great Salade Niçoise or charcuterie board in a cinch. Often half of one of these jars is my lunch together with some veggies or a salad. Second suggestion: leftover bread or hamburger buns etc that you know will get lost if you throw them into the freezer as is? Whiz them up in the food processor instead and put them in a freezer bag. Store them in the freezer, and just keep adding to it as bread becomes available. This way, if you need fresh breadcrumbs, you won’t need to use up bread that could still be eaten for breakfast avo toast etc. And it means that when you are suddenly craving this recipe, the breadcrumbs are already prepped for you.
Making the toasted breadcrumb mixture (which is officially called Pangrattato) is as easy as warming some olive oil in a skillet, adding the breadcrumbs and lemon zest, and stirring them all till the bread becomes a crispy golden brown. These will get put into a bowl and chopped parsley is added to them.
Meanwhile, cook your pasta and then save some of the pasta water. And while that is happening, sauté the chopped onion and garlic in more oil. Then the chilli flakes and shredded tuna will get added. Finally some lemon juice and final bit of olive oil (if you have a quality jar of tuna, you can use this oil) are added. This will all simmer together for a few minutes to let the flavours become good friends.
The drained pasta gets added to the tuna sauce in the skillet, along with some of the pangrattato. Stir it all. Add some pasta water to help it become a bit more smooth. Serve with the remaining pangrattato and lemon on the side.
See, such an easy dish. But packed with flavour. And really pretty healthy. If you use gluten free breadcrumbs, and say quinoa or brown rice pasta, it can satisfy even those with some food sensitivities.
Dishes like this should be in every kitchen. We deserve some easy recipes for those ‘brain dead’ nights. And while these dishes may be easy, flavour is not sacrificed in the slightest.
I promise that I will get my act together and start pulling out some zinger recipes really soon. Thanks for your patience!
On a side note, I took a walk this morning, enjoyed the cooler breeze off the water, watched some swans grooming themselves by the shore, and then walked straight into a kaleidescope of butterflies. Yep, a group of butterflies is called a kaleidoscope! Isn’t that so beautiful?! It was so amazing to have upwards of 30 or 40 Monarch butterflies flitting around my head. I wish that my phone could have captured what my eyes feasted on. Just believe me, I wish everyone could have experienced it. Just so ethereal and magical. 🙂
Love Jen
Spaghetti with Tuna, Lemon and Chilli Flakes
A simple weekday pasta dish that doesn't sacrifice flavour. A toasted breadcrumb mixture is flavoured with lemon zest and parsley and becomes the crunch to the flaked tuna, onion, garlic and lemon 'sauce'. Chilli flakes for oomph. Comes together in a breeze!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil , divided
- 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
- 1 large lemon or 2 small, zested and juiced
- kosher salt and cracked black pepper
- 1 large handful of flat leaf parsley chopped
- 10-12 oz (280-350 grams) of spaghetti
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 2 large or 3 medium garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp of chilli flakes or to taste
- 12 oz (350 grams) good quality chunk tuna, flaked by hand into lovely bite sized pieces
- fresh lemon for serving
Instructions
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Place a large skillet over medium heat, and add 4 tbsp of the olive oil. Heat through and then add the breadcrumbs, lemon zest and 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper.
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Stir everything regularly until the bread has been toasted and is a lovely golden hue. Place everything into a bowl to cool. Once cooled a bit, add the parsley and stir it through. Taste a bit to see if you want to add more salt and pepper. This can be done in advance and set aside before starting the rest of the recipe.
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Cook the spaghetti as per the instructions, in well salted water, till a lovely al dente. Set aside 1/3 cup or so of the pasta water, and then drain the pasta. Set aside.
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Wipe the skillet from earlier clean.
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Add 3 tbsp of the olive oil and warm it over medium heat.
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Cook the onion and garlic, stirring for about 4 minutes, till just starting to soften. Add the chilli flakes and cook for another minute.
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Add the tuna and stir through till warmed.
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Add the lemon juice and remaining olive oil. Season with 1/4 tsp salt and pepper. Stir to combine everything into a wonderful 'sauce'. Do this over low heat. Cook for 2 minutes.
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Add the hot drained pasta to the skillet. Add about 2-3 tbsp of the pasta water to help thin everything into a smooth sauce with the pasta. Toss it all together to blend well.
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Add half of the breadcrumb mixture and toss again.
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Place onto a platter and scatter the remaining breadcrumb mixture evenly over everything.
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Drizzle a little olive oil over everything, as well as some more cracked pepper, and serve.
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Have more lemon wedges and chilli flakes for those who would like to add a bit more oomph to their servings.
Recipe Notes
This dish was inspired by a dish by Katie Quinn Davies, her Crab, Lemon and Chilli Pepper Spaghetti.
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