Obica: Linguine with Yellowfin Tuna
A simple but delicious dish from a cool restaurant called Obicà that we found on our last trip to Florence. They insist that it’s best made with fresh tuna (and they’re probably right) but we made it with top quality tinned tuna and it worked for us.
Wine Suggestion: Classic Italian matches for tuna depend on the region. If you are in Sicily a great match is their native Grillo grape, a textural, slightly salty and mineral wine with good body but not weighty. For this dish though we drank a Vermentino, made by Morisfarms, from the Tuscan coast. It has a great vinous texture and savoury character which combined with fresh fruit and minerality matches this Tuscan combination of tuna, tomatoes and olives.
Linguine with Yellowfish Tuna – serves 4-6
- 2 tins top quality plum tomatoes (the Italian brands are good)
- 500g yellowfin tuna
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus a bit extra
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- a pinch of chilli flakes
- 80ml white wine
- 30g salted capers, soaked and drained
- 100g pitted black olives (Gaeta or Kalamata)
- 500g linguine
- chopped fresh parsley to serve
Drain the tinned tomatoes and cut into strips.
Cut the tuna into 2cm cubes. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté with 1 sprig of rosemary and the chilli flakes.
Add the wine and simmer until it evaporates, then add the capers.
Add the olives and tomatoes and cook over a high heat for 15 minutes.
Cook the linguine until al dente, then drain and add to the pan of tuna sauce. Toss gently.
Sprinkle on the parsley, drizzle with some more olive oil, and garnish with the remaining rosemary.
(Original recipe from Obicà: Mozzerella Bar, Pizza e Cucina, Rizzoli, 2014.)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 
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