Spaghetti with Tuna, Chili, and Garlic
Dive into a delightful bowl of spaghetti that’s bursting with flavor! This quick and easy dish combines tender pasta with zesty tuna, fiery chili, and aromatic garlic for a meal that’s as satisfying as it is speedy. Perfect for busy weeknights, this recipe will have you savoring every bite!
✓This video contains 3 recipes.View all →
Prep
10
min
Cook
10
min
Serves
1
people
Level
beginner
📝 Ingredients
Serves 1🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- flat-leaf parsley
- clove of garlic
- lemon
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- tin of tuna in olive oil
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- extra virgin olive oil
- spaghetti
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- capersoptional
📦Other(1)
- chili
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Bring a pot of water to a simmer and season it.
- 2
Add spaghetti and cook until al dente.
- 3
Prepare the chili by slicing it and removing seeds if desired.
- 4
Crush the garlic and add it to the pan.
- 5
Open the tuna and drain some oil, then add it to the pan.
- 6
Add capers and parsley to the mixture.
- 7
Use lemon zest and juice for flavor.
- 8
Combine cooked spaghetti with the mixture and serve.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Salt your pasta water to 1-2% salinity and bring it to a rolling boil (212°F) before adding spaghetti, since simmering water alone won't create enough turbulence to prevent starch molecules from causing the strands to stick together.technique1-2% salinity, 212°F
- ✓Reserve 1/2 cup of starchy pasta cooking water before draining, then add it 2 tablespoons at a time to the tuna mixture off-heat to create a silky emulsion, as the starch acts as an emulsifier binding the oil and water-based liquids together.technique1/2 cup reserved, 2 tbsp increments
- ✓Crush garlic and let it sit for 10 minutes before cooking to maximize allicin production via enzymatic reaction, then cook it in olive oil over low heat (below 250°F) for only 60-90 seconds since garlic burns and turns bitter above this threshold.timing10 min rest, under 250°F, 60-90 seconds
- ✓Use oil-packed tuna rather than water-packed, and reserve 1 tablespoon of the packing oil to bloom the chili and garlic, since the oil has absorbed fish-derived glutamates and fats that build a deeper umami base than starting with fresh olive oil alone.ingredient1 tablespoon reserved oil
- ✓Add lemon zest at the very end of cooking rather than during the saute, since the volatile citrus oils in the zest (limonene) degrade rapidly above 140°F and lose most of their aromatic potency within 2-3 minutes of heat exposure.timingbelow 140°F, added in final 30 seconds
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