Tinned Tuna Linguine.

This is a recipe from Giuseppe Mascoli, a dear friend and mentor, one of his oldest inventions devised when still a boy, over long summers sailing through the Mediterranean with his father.

Linguine al tonno in scatola.

Sig. Mascoli Senior was not a fan of tuna, then in superfluous supply, and this was the only recipe he tolerated, and I suspect even enjoyed, on quiet evenings out at Southern European seas. 

It is impossible to describe the dish’s deliciousness enough and it’s quite difficult to imagine until you’ve tasted it, and even then its tastiness is a mild mystery. Tuna without tomato (in Italy) or mayo (in England) is a rare treat and the combination of its meaty chunks with sweet, melting onions, sprightly parsley all coiled together with silky and smooth, perfectly resistant al dente linguine is a real joy for the senses, mildly addictive and like no other. 

Absent an intense or slurpy sauce, this is a recipe that truly celebrates pasta, allowing you to savour its texture directly and deliberately, almost unprotected. Just like spaghetti aglio e olio - it is a pasta lover’s day dream.

And probably the most memorable thing you can do in a home kitchen with tinned tuna.

Confit onion are a small easy and cheap delicacy. Traditionally a popular condiment in France served with cheese, charcuterie or sandwiches, here they are prepared without sugar and vinegar. As is the case with the Spanish Omelette, the secret is to cook them for a very long time, on a very low heat. If you have a pressure cooker, the results will be even more sublime.

It is possible to find high quality tuna in specialty shops such as delis, fish mongers and various vegetable stalls. Oritz make very good, widely available tuna in olive oil. It is in the price region of high-quality fish, but rest assured you are getting a high-quality fish, with all the accompanying health benefits, being high in vitamin B, D and calcium and magnesium, as well as omega-3s. 

A reliable presence in home kitchens across most mature economies, ranging from Japan to Italy where 93% of the population confesses to keep a tin or two at home, the trusted tinned (or jarred) tuna has been a pantry staple since its mass commercialisation in the in 1950s. The global peak occurred in the 1980s, and although Americans seem to have somewhat fallen out of love with canned tuna since, Southern Europe is still a big fan. Spain is the largest producer and consumer in Europe, with Italy in respective second; up to 43% of Italians eat it on a weekly basis. Encouragingly, Europe produces the majority of the canned fish it consumes. It is a good idea to always look for the Marine Stewardship Council label with its blue tick for certification of sustainability.

 In the UK, tinned tuna has also been eclipsed by glitzier newcomers in recent years, its pantry staple status and convenience credentials usurped by the various fashionably “active”, “cultured” and “anti-oxidating” foods. But this is a long-haul store cupboard item, having weathered storms and fashions since its invention in the 15th century. Undivisive and universally understood, whatever it lacks in glamour and imagination today it makes up for with its pleasing familiarity and gentle nostalgia. In certain dishes and preparations, it still knows no rivals. 

This pasta, however, is also very delicious made with mackerel – konwns as sgombro in Italian, this is easy to find in delis and is a more flavourful and a less pricey alternative to tuna. If using mackerel, be sure to top your pasta with grated parmesan. Slightly scandalous by some regards (fish, cheese!) but so scrumptious – like salmon and cream cheese, two inexplicable, heavenly bedfellows. 

An almost even more delicious thing to do with this slippery tinned fish pasta is to mix in a couple of beaten eggs and fry it into a pasta cake in a pan, turning over once, as you would a Spanish tortilla. If you’re going straight for the pasta cake you might want to be even more generous with the quantity of onions, and perhaps grate in some Parmesan too.

Cook the pasta very al dente in this case – 60% of its cooking time – and fry in a pan for 6-8 minutes each side until golden and crispy on the outside and warm and soft on the inside. Delicious warm, straight away, or cooled at room temperature. 

 RECIPE.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

Tuna or Mackerel in olive oil, one jar

Onion, 2 small yellow

Parsley, lot of 

Olive oil

Linguine, 340g

Salt, pepper

Parmesan, 20g

For the frittata:

Egg, 1 or 2

Method:

1.      Thinly slice the onions

2.     Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a pan, add the onions and cook on a very low heat for about thirty minutes, stirring occasionally. Salt towards the end and add the chopped parsley. There should be a lot of visible green in this dish, the parsley is one of the key ingredients, not a decoration.

3.     Put the pasta water to boil, generously salted.

4.    Cook the linguine until al dente.

5.     Just before the pasta is ready, add the tuna or mackerel chunks to the onions, gently breaking up with a wooden spoon and amalgamating together, off the heat. If you have very high-quality tuna also add some of its oil. The onions need to be warm, but the tuna should be added off the heat, and let be a couple of minutes for the juices to seep together. 

6.     Drain the pasta reserving some of the cooking water and add to the pan with the tuna and onions, mixing together. Add a two spoonful of freshly grated Parmesan and a small amount of the cooking water and mix, until creamy and well incorporated. Complete with a very very generous amount of black pepper (also a key ingredient here.)

7.     Serve immediately. If you have made it with mackerel, serve with extra Parmesan on top.