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Tagliatelle, similar to fettuccine, is a type of pasta that is flat and wide, and a great option for those thicker sauces that need a little something extra to cling to. We love cooking with these heftier noodles, and this sauce, although not a meat sauce, is full-bodied enough that it pairs excellently with the tagliatelle!

Freshly made with tomatoes, capers, olives and tuna, this is a deliciously spicy dish (feel free to cater the heat to your preference) that both fills and warms you up. Another thing to add is that the base of this sauce is one that you can use in basically any red sauce recipe; garlic, tomatoes and tomato paste will take you far. Delicious on its own, it’s easy to build on it and create a variety of culinary masterpieces like this one!

Tuna Tagliatelle

Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 1 pound tagliatelle pasta
  • 1 (28 oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes
  • 2 (6 oz.) cans water-packed tuna, rinsed and drained
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 red pepper, chopped (seeds removed, optional) OR 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1/2 cup pitted green olives
  • 1/4 cup capers, drained
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions

  1. Heat olive oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat and cook garlic for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant. Move garlic around pan so it doesn’t burn.
  2. Add red pepper to the garlic and saute until softened.
  3. Place capers and green olives in with garlic and pepper, and cook for another 1 minute. Then add tomatoes and tomato paste.
  4. Stir so paste is dissolved and everything combines, and season with salt and pepper.
  5. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until sauce thickens and reduces.
  6. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to packaging directions, or until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water.
  7. Add tuna to sauce and toss well. Pour sauce over tagliatelle. If sauce is too thick, pour in 1 tablespoon pasta water to loosen it and stir well.
  8. Transfer to serving plates and serve hot.

Recipe adapted from Canadian Living