Pasta with Tuna, White Beans & Roasted Tomatoes
Introduction
Mint, chilli and lemon lift canned tuna into the realm of scrumptiousness. This dish is equally good at room temperature.
Serves: 5-6
Ingredients
Roasted tomatoes
600g (1 lb 3 oz) smallish vine tomatoes
Finely grated zest 1 lemon
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Flaky sea salt
Caster sugar (superfine granulated sugar)
Glazed Lemons
2 juicy lemons
Olive oil
Caster sugar (superfine granulated sugar)
A few pinches of chilli powder or chilli flakes for sprinkling
Pasta and sauce
5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil,
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
Flaky sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
400g (14 oz) can cannellini beans, drained, rinsed and drained
350g (12 oz) linguine or spaghetti
Coarse sea salt
400g (14 oz) can tuna in oil, drained
¼ cup small mint leaves
Method
1 Preheat oven to 210°C (410°F). Halve the tomatoes and arrange them cut side up in a shallow ovenproof dish such as a Swiss roll tin, lined with baking (parchment) paper. Sprinkle with lemon zest, grind over plenty of pepper, drizzle with oil, then sprinkle with flaky sea salt and caster sugar. Bake the tomatoes for 30-40 minutes, or until they collapse and char around the edges. If the tomatoes are longer than 2cm (about 1”), chop them in half with scissors once they’ve cooled.
2 Slice the lemons thickly. Pat them dry with paper towels. Heat a little olive oil in a small frying pan (skillet) over a high heat. Quickly dust the lemon slices with a little caster sugar, then add them to the pan, sugared side down. Cook quickly on both sides until lightly browned. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle very lightly with chilli powder or chilli flakes (just a hint).
3 In a large bowl, mix five tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil with the garlic, half a teaspoon of flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Add the drained beans.
4 Cook the pasta in plenty of gently boiling, well-salted water until al dente.
5 Drain pasta. Toss with the garlicky oil and beans, using a rubber scraper to avoid crushing the beans. Add the tuna and tomatoes and toss lightly. Strew with mint, then top with fried lemon slices. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Use Meyer lemons (bright yellow, thick-skinned and juicy lemons).
Both the tomatoes and lemons can be cooked several hours ahead, making this a quick dish to put together at mealtime.