La Lama Mountain Ovens
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The best of the recipes, techniques, and methods practiced by our large extended Italian-American family - with emphasis on the legacy handed down to us by the original immigrants.

This is a cookbook-in-process project. If you try any of these recipes please let us know how they turn out, whether or not you had any difficulties, and any clarifying improvements you might recommend to make them foolproof. We will of course acknowledge genuine "test-kitchen" assistance.

Family Secrets #52

Spaghetti con Tonno (with Tuna)

By CeCe Dove, La Lama Mountain Ovens

Do   you remember the groans and moans of meatless Fridays? Our mother really didn't have much of a way with fish. She breaded and fried it or she made a fish and potato casserole that I used to love (see Family Secret #34) but that was about her whole repertoire. It took a lot of traveling for both my brother and myself to develop a taste for the wonderful diversity of seafood available to us. But when we were growing up and meatless Friday rolled around every week, the other dish she did well and we always looked forward to was spaghetti con tonno.

This is another of those rustic family style dinners that are so easy to put together you feel guilty. But get over the guilt because it is so delicious it would be sinful not to eat it. Because the sauce is meatless you can either use a marinara that you may have frozen or simply make it as presented in this recipe. The ingredients take minutes to prepare and the sauce simply needs to reduce enough to coat the pasta - a matter of minutes versus the hours to prepare a traditional red sauce.

The question of using fresh tuna versus canned has only surfaced in the last few years since we've become so obsessed with using the freshest of ingredients. We never saw a fresh tuna steak when we grew up so there was never a controversy about it. Our feeling is that yes you can use fresh tuna but it will certainly change the nature of this dish. It won't taste the same or have the  same mouth feel to it. If I were to make it with fresh tuna I would call it something entirely different, season it differently, probably serve it with homemade pasta instead of the dried pasta we use, and would most likely even sauce it differently. It would no doubt be delicious too, but it wouldn't be the dish I remember and wish to re-create here.

A word about canned tuna is in order. If you can find Italian tonno packed in olive oil you'll have the perfect ingredient. Otherwise look for solid white albacore. You could also go further down the scale and use a chunk white albacore, but nothing less than this will do or it will simply dissolve in the sauce. It is getting harder and harder to find tuna packed in oil but that is my preference. If you can only find the tuna packed in spring water, you can adjust as the recipe indicates by simply adding a good drizzle of olive oil.

The optional anchovies give this dish an extra layer of flavor. They dissolve in the sauce and even the most avid anchovy-hater will not recognize them. If you use them take extra care when adding salt to the final sauce.

Parmesan or not? Well, that's up to you. Traditionally, never with fish, but there are always die-hards who must have their daily fix of grated Parmesan. I suggest passing it at the table.

Spaghetti con Tonno

Serves four

• 1 qt. of whole peeled tomatoes chopped medium, with juices
• 2 Tblsp. tomato paste
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 small onion, finely diced
• 1 tsp. garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 can anchovies, rinsed, dried and finely chopped (optional)
• 1/4 cup olive oil (or if using tuna in oil drain and save the oil from the can and make up the difference with olive oil)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 12 oz. can of tuna, drained
• 1 Tblsp. fresh minced basil or two bay leaves
• Red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 lb, dried spaghetti or linguine

Warm 2 Tblsp. olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add onions and garlic and sauté over medium heat until just softened, two to three minutes. If using anchovies, add them at this point. Dissolve the tomato paste in the white wine in a small glass and set aside. Add the crushed tomatoes to the onion/garlic/anchovy mixture and stir well, then add the wine/paste to this. If using water-packed tuna, add the other two Tblsp. olive oil. If using optional pepper flakes, add now. Add herbs. Bring it all to a simmer, uncovered. Add salt as needed. Simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, enough to coat the pasta, about 15-20 minutes at a gentle simmer. If using bay leaves remove them now. Add the drained tuna, being careful not to break up the tuna too much. It should remain chunky. Let rest about five minutes off heat.

Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta al dente. Drain well. When the sauce is ready, place pasta in a warm serving bowl, gently toss with the sauce and serve immediately.

Altitude Adjustment: Cooking pasta at elevations over 2500 feet requires lots of water and some patience as it will take longer, since water boils at a lower temperature. Do not make the mistake of covering the pot. Keep the flame high and start testing at about 12 minutes.