Tuna Puttanesca

Spaghetti alla puttanesca is such a simple dish, but it’s so darn tasty. I know it might sound and look a little fancy, but it’s one of my go-tos when I need an easy quick carb fix. Follow me…

Spaghetti Puttanesca

You actually don’t need many ingredients to whip up a classic puttanesca. It seems recipes do differ from region to region in Italy, and I’m in no way saying this version is truly authentic, but here’s what you’ll need for my take on the classic:

Spaghetti Puttanesca Ingredients

Spaghetti – or any other long-cut pasta. Tomatoes – canned chopped tomatoes work perfectly here. Oil – you’ll want a fair amount of good quality extra virgin olive oil to create a gorgeous, silky sauce. Garlic – this adds heaps of flavour. I like very thin slices for a more rustic finish. Olives – traditionally you’d see black olives, but I much prefer the flavour of kalamata olives. Anchovies – these are a crucial ingredient. You won’t taste them, they melt into the sauce and offer a nice salty (not fishy!) flavour. Capers – these add to the salty, tangy flavours of the dish. Parsley – and lots of it! I divide a bunch into ‘stalks’ and ‘leaves’. I then fry and simmer the stalks, then toss through the leaves at the end. Chilli Flakes – work to spice preference, but this dish should offer a gentle kick of heat.

Puttanesca with Tuna

As you can see in the photo below, I’ve also got some tuna going in too. I LOVE adding tuna to this dish. It offers a boost of protein and takes on the flavours so amazingly well.

Puttanesca Sauce

Start without heat

The first thing I recommend doing is infusing the oil. You’ll want to start with the oil in a pan with the heat OFF. From there, just add the garlic, capers, anchovies, parsley stalks and chilli flakes. As the heat gently rises, it tickles the flavour out of the ingredients. The anchovies will also begin to melt into the oil. Starting with the heat off also reduces the risk of the ingredients burning (namely the garlic, which turns bitter if it burns).

Simmering the sauce

In with the chopped tomatoes & olives, then give it a good simmer for 15-20mins. This not only thickens the sauce but will also help marry all the flavours together. The olives will soften and leak their gorgeous flavour into the sauce. Process shots: add garlic, capers, anchovies, parsley stalks & chilli to oil in pan (photo 1), fry (photo 2), add tomatoes and olives (photo 3), simmer (photo 4), toss in spaghetti and parsley (photo 5), toss in tuna (photo 6).

Do I have to add tuna?

Nope! It is a lovely addition but this pasta is still delicious without it. Anchovies are non-negotiable though 😛

How do I stop the tuna from going mushy?

I recommend adding the tuna in right at the end, just so it doesn’t break up too much as you toss the pasta. Also, make sure you’re using tuna ‘chunks’ not tuna ‘flakes’.

Serving Tuna Puttanesca

When it comes to serving the pasta, I actually don’t serve with parmesan (I know, shock horror). But I’m sure you could sneak some on if you wanted, alongside any extra parsley you’ve got lurking around. For more tuna pasta recipes check out my tuna pasta bake (Creamy Version or Tomato Version) and my Tuna Pasta Salad! Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this tuna puttanesca shall we!?