Whenever I have a craving for comfort food, it would be safe to assume that either rice or pasta will be involved. Rice is a necessary accompaniment to the dishes of my childhood; it goes with everything from chicken stew and sautéed vegetables to marinated meats like tocino and tapa. Characterizing pasta as comfort food for me did not happen until I learned to cook in my own kitchen. I have always enjoyed pasta dishes but I admit that my very early exposure to Italian food was limited to such ubiquitous restaurant fare as Alfredo and meat sauce.
Fortunately, my Italian cookbooks have given me a better understanding of what “sauce” really is. Pasta sauce doesn’t have to be made up of tomatoes or cream. A simple pasta dish can be special with the addition of just a few humble ingredients and the sauce will neither be called “red” nor “white”.
This is my take on a Venetian classic, Bigoli con Salsa, a traditional dish for days of fasting. Bigoli is an extruded pasta that is traditionally made with either buckwheat flour or whole wheat flour. The sauce is a simple combination of olive oil, onions, anchovies and parsley. This variation includes tuna in olive oil but I went a couple of steps further by adding lemon juice, crushed red pepper and crispy sage.
The resulting dish has surprisingly more complexity than other tuna-based pasta dishes I’ve tried before. Tuna fish packed in olive oil has a lot of flavor and frankly, you don’t have to buy the Italian variety to guarantee a successful dish. I keep my pantry well-stocked with Trader Joe’s version. It’s economical and handy for easy meals. The slightly-caramelized shallots I used in place of onions added another layer of flavor–mild sweetness–that I admit wasn’t sure would work well but fortunately did. The crushed red pepper provided a bit of heat and the lemon some brightness.
The kicker, though, was the crispy sage. I fried about a dozen in a bit of olive oil and butter. The brown butter gave the sage a subtle nutty flavor, lending even more depth to this simple meal. This may seem like an odd mix of ingredients but I assure you that it worked! I’m happily adding this to my comfort-food list.
By the way, My Bottega Cookbook giveaway is still going on. Why don’t you drop by my earlier post for a chance to win!
Spaghetti with Tuna, Anchovies and Crispy Sage
* Adapted from Biba Caggiano’s Italy al Dente
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 large shallots, thinly sliced (or one small onion in keeping with tradition)
- 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup water
- 5 anchovy fillets
- 1 5-0z can tuna packed in oil, drained and broken into small pieces
- 12 -15 fresh sage leaves
- Crushed red pepper
- Juice of half lemon
- 1 pound spaghetti (You can use whole wheat to follow tradition)
- Parmigiano Reggiano
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
This looks fabulous!!! Perfect for Lenten Fridays…and I wouldn’t have to eat tuna casserole~
Your Spaghetti with Tuna looks so good! I love making Spaghetti with Tuna, but have never added anchovies or fried sage. What a fabulous idea! Thank you!
Jean – this sounds super tasty! Believe it or not, I would actually add the anchovie, since it would melt in the process and adds good flavor – Charles would actually love it! Hope you and Hubby are doing great! We basically hybernated all weekend, since no flying was going to take place. Perhaps next weekend. 🙂
I think I love this better than those tuna noodle casserole 😛 When I discovered tuna packed in oil, I never went back, TJs makes a decent one.
Jean: This is my type of pasta dish. Pasta, I would have to say, is my comfort food. It isn’t something I had a lot of growing up – but now in my own kitchen, I find happiness in pasta. Over the last years, for health reasons, I’ve learned to balance how much I eat of it 😉
I like everything about this dish. The use of sage, tuna and the saltiness of the anchovies – so many delicious ingredients that make up this pasta dish (love that second image!!! ). I just may give this a try for dinner this week.
I never really fell in love with pasta until about a year ago when we started making it fresh and really exploring variations, homemade sauces, unique combinations. Your recipe looks simple yet interesting- love the crispy sage addition!
You should already know what I’m thinking about after reading this post…”forget about brunch I want to meet you over dinner so you can make me one of your wonderful pasta dishes”…and if an Italian says so…lol!
You know what, I think I agree with Caroline! This is better than tuna casserole! Especially love the sage, I could just eat that by itself 🙂
This is everything pasta should be!!!! GREG
Fried sage!! mmmm! This pasta dish sound fabulous!
Hi Jean, I love the fried sage in your pasta, isn’t it one of the best thing ever?
The fried sage is the kicker for sure! But I love the flavors of lemon with tuna in olive oil and the anchovies – very Mediterranean 🙂
Such a simple yet elegant pasta dish. I’m pretty sure it would land on my comfort food list as well. Very nice recipe!
What a perfect looking pasta dish. Definitely comfort food!
Gorgeous! I love to make pasta like this- but never added anchovies! This looks heavenly. Definitely what I would consider comfort food!
Fantastic dish! Looks delicious 🙂
Hi Jean, this looks yummy! I’ve never cooked with canned tuna other than to make an occasional tuna sandy but I think my husband would really like this as he loves canned tuna. Thanks for a simple yet delicious weeknight meal idea! 🙂
Jean, have you tried Tonino brand tuna jar? Thick tuna pieces are in a jar and it’s usually sold in a supermarket like Lunardi’s. It’s a little bit more expensive than regular canned tuna, but this tuna is amazingly delicious. I thought this tuna goes well with your pasta… I must make this pasta soon. I love all the ingredients in it, and I’m also not necesarily into cream or tomato pasta. I love anchovies and sage in it… Really, this is a great recipe!