6-9-17   Spaghetti with fresh tuna

It has been on my mind for weeks – pasta with fresh tuna instead of the usual tuna in oil I’ve always used.  Today I made the commitment by purchasing fresh tuna steaks at the Midtown Market, and tonight I did the deed.

                    

          

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Fresh tuna steaks

2.     Spaghetti

3.     Olive oil

4.     Shallots and garlic

5.     Anchovies-2 fillets finely chopped

6.     Sundried tomatoes in oil coarsely chopped

7.     Celery

8.     Fresh spearmint – coarsely chopped

9.     Fresh Oregano

10. White wine

11. Fresh lemon juice

12. Red pepper flakes (optional)

PROCESS:

Heat olive oil in skillet over high heat and cook the tuna steaks about 3 minutes on each side until browned.  Remove and set aside.

Cut the tuna into bite size pieces.

 

Deglaze the skillet with wine, reheat olive oil and cook the shallots and celery until soft then add the garlic and the anchovies.  Cook for several minutes before adding the tomatoes, tuna, herbs, and white wine.  Continue cooking over medium heat, adding the juice from ½ lemon.

When the pasta in ready, add to the skillet, along with pasta water, and mix thoroughly.

COMMENTS:

I am ready to declare my first experience with fresh tuna and pasta a resounding success.  (I know – my humility is overbearing.)  I think fresh tomatoes or even canned peeled tomatoes could be substituted for the sundried tomatoes.

My in-house critic agrees with my assessment.

1-5…Linguine with tuna and assorted vegetables

This is a variation of a dish I’ve posted before. The difference is in the tuna. Instead of StarKist tuna in oil from Kroger (which I thoroughly enjoy) I used tuna in oil from Sicily provided by my “Chicago” daughter.

INGREDIENTS:

Spinach Linguine, Tuna in oil,  Broccoli florets,  Small tomatoes,  halved and quartered , Green onions,  Celery,  Garlic,  Fresh parsley,  Dill,  White wine,  Fresh lemon juice, Dry white wine, Butter

PROCESS:

Saute the garlic, onions, celery, and broccoli, in oil and butter while the pasta is cooking. Add a splash of white wine along with the dill and lemon juice. Add the pasta and tuna to the pan and mix well. Drizzle with olive oil, add the lemon juice, and the tomatoes, and some pasta water. Serve with parmigiano reggiano cheese.

COMMENTS:

Lee and Dee joined us tonight, making the dish especially nice. The difference in the tuna was striking; it was a much subtler flavor than the StarKist. If you enjoy trying something different, give this a try.

10-10…Tuna with tomatoes, arugula and lemon

Tuna canned in oil is a common staple in many Italian kitchens, and I find that recipes for canned tuna far outnumber those for fresh tuna in the more than a dozen Italian cookbooks I’ve reviewed.

I’ve previously posted 2 variations of pasta with canned tuna (5/30 and 7/24) and tonight I’ll add one more.



INGREDIENTS:

Tuna in oil
Olive oil
Garlic and onion
Dill
Lemon juice
Arugula, chopped
Two ripe, medium (or one larger one) tomatoes peeled and coarsely chopped
Anchovy paste

PROCESS:

Run the garlic through a garlic press and cook in olive oil along with the onion and anchovy paste. After several minutes add the tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes.

Add the cooked al dente pasta to the pan and mix in the tuna and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the dill, arugula, and lemon juice, mix well, and serve.

COMMENTS:

TUNA & CUCUMBER PASTA 7-24

This is one of those dishes that are embarrassingly easy to prepare, and the satisfying flavor is inversely proportional to the effort. I’ve made it several times over the past few years…the difference this time is the cucumbers and tomatoes. It was delicious without them, and even better with them.



INGREDIENTS:

Linguine
Tuna in oil
Cucumber…diced
Large grape tomatoes, quartered
Oregano, dill, parsley
Lemon juice
Olive oil
Garlic, shallots
One Anchovy fillet, finely chopped
Red pepper flakes

PROCESS:

While the pasta is cooking sauté the garlic, shallots, and anchovy in Olive oil, along with the red pepper flakes. Add the pasta to this sauce and mix in the herbs, cucumber, tomatoes and tuna, and lemon juice, adding more olive oil and pasta water to get the desired consistency.

COMMENTS:

Although any pasta will work with this, P and I prefer Linguine. I urge you to try this, with or without the cucumbers and tomatoes. It has become a staple in our kitchen.

PASTA QUEST DAY...week 5...DAY 23

5-30-11



Pasta with tuna and artichoke hearts

INGREDIENTS:

Frafalle...(Bow ties)
OLive oil, garlic, shallots
Dill, fresh oregano
Frozen artichoke hearts
1 Can tuna in oil
Lemon juice
White wine, butter
Red pepper flakes

PROCESS:

Saute the garlic and shallots w the red pepper flakes in oil until soft. Add the artichoke hearts and a splash of white wine and cook for about 5-7 minutes. Add one pad of butter during the cooking. Add the dill and lemon juice. When the pasta is done (al dente) add to the pan and mix in the tuna. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.

COMMENTS:

Patience worked today so it was 8 PM when we sat down to dinner...late for us, but normal for some, especially the Italians. When I was in Bologna I was usually the first one in the restaurant for dinner...they didn't open until 7 or 7:30 in the evening. But I digress because I'm embarrassed to say that P and I both rated this dish as delicious! We try to be critical, honest we do.

And the cherry tomatoes? They were a last minute addition to add color for the photo.

REGARDING THE URINARY STREAM...

Boys and young men can write their names in the snow. Middle aged+ men must generally be satisfied with initials, and men 60 and above are just grateful if their shoes don’t get wet. Sadly, I am in the last category, and only with the help of medication have I been able to keep my shoes dry. But the writing was on the wall (no pun intended), and the time had come for more drastic intervention.

Enter the age of “TUNA”, transurethral needle ablation of the prostate. Actually not the entire prostate, just the rim of tissue so inconveniently compressing the urethral outflow. Sensibilities prevent me from going into the details of this procedure, only to say that they do things that civilized people should not do to one another. Probes, needles, catheters, and radio waves are employed in the most creative manner. The good news is, it was over in an hour. The bad news is a catheter remains in place for a week.

Fortunately when it comes to pain and discomfort I am a tiger! Did I mention that yesterday? OK, so I felt a little faint when I got off the table after the procedure, but even tigers get a little woozy at times. But during the procedure I cried for ONLY 3 minutes when the good Dr. injected my prostate with lidocaine. And during the transurethral treatment I did not scream and kick him more than 3 or 4 times. Well, maybe 5.

My dear wife Patience drove the 2 1/2 hours home, and since then, with her tender care, aided by my very infrequent doses of percocet, and her wonderful soup, I have been on the mend.

Now if only I can get rid of this damn catheter.