Time: 45 mins
Serves: 8
When your pantry is running low and all you have on hand is canned tuna, pasta, and canned tomatoes, fear not! You can still whip up a delightful dinner. Customise to your heart’s desire – toss in some veggies, fresh herbs, a sprinkle of chili flakes, or stir in cheese, olives, capers, or sun-dried tomatoes. Get creative!
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, finely diced
800g / 28oz crushed tomato
1 tbsp tomato paste (optional, thickens sauce slightly)
3/4 cup (185ml) water
1 tbsp Italian mixed herbs, or other dried herbs of choice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
425g / 15oz can chunk tuna (preferably in oil), drained
200g / 7oz spiral pasta (or other pasta of choice)
1 1/2 cups (150g) shredded mozzarella cheese
Olive Oil, for drizzling
Method
Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
Cook pasta per packet directions, minus 1 minute. Drain, rinse under tap water to stop it sticking together, set aside.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat an ovenproof skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 3 minutes until golden.
Add tomato, water, herbs, salt and pepper and tomato paste if using. Stir, bring to simmer, lower heat to medium and simmer energetically for 5 minutes (stir every now and then) until it thickens.
Adjust salt to taste. Also add a touch of sugar if it tastes a bit sour (depends on quality of tomato). Turn the stove off, add pasta, stir in.
Add tuna and GENTLY stir it in – don’t break up the tuna so it disintegrates into mush. Leave some chunks on the surface (nice when it is golden).
Drizzle with oil, top with cheese then bake for 20 minutes until golden and you get those nice crusty bits you see in the photos.
Stand for 3 minutes then serve!
