We are never without tins of tuna – Ortiz or Shines are great – and always in olive oil. This sauce takes a while but it’s easy and tastes delicious. The sauce is flavoured with a parmesan rind – you should always keep these as they freeze well and add great savoury flavours to dishes like this, a meaty ragú, or soups.
Wine Suggestion: A little left field and possibly only available when visiting the winery: Chateau du Hureau Blanc de Noirs 2022. A white made from 100% Cabernet Franc from Saumur because the usual vineyard of Chenin Blanc was hit by bad frosts, and the owner Philippe wanted some white to drink … plus he couldn’t resist having a play in the winery at the same time. Fresh but with a real texture with hints of phenolics. Hints of yellow plum, lightly floral, slightly nutty and touches of apple. It really came into it’s own with the food.
Linguine con tonno – serves 4 to 5
- 60ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 Parmesan rind
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
- 300g tinned tuna, well drained
- 500g dried linguine
- freshly grated Parmesan, to serve
Put the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and some salt, then allow to soften for about 5 minutes without colouring. Add the garlic, Parmesan rind and oregano. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, then add the tomato purée and cook for another minute.
Add the tinned tomatoes, season with more salt and bring to the boil, turn the heat down as low as it will go and cook for a couple of hours, stirring every 20 minutes or so. If the sauce starts to stick add a splash of water.
Add the tuna to the tomato sauce, then cook the linguine in lots of salty boiling water. Drain the pasta and return it to the pan. Tip in the tuna sauce and mix through. Serve drizzled with your best olive oil and sprinked with grated Parmesan and black pepper.
(Original recipe from Rick Steain at Home, BBC Books, Penguin, 2021.)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 