PASTA WITH TUNA ASCOLI STYLE

Lidia Bastianich reveals how Italians use excellent pantry ingredients to make delicious meals in minutes in this pasta dish from the Marche region.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Monini DOP Umbria Extra Virgin Olive Oil [2]
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
• 1/2 cup Castelvetrano green olives [3], pitted and chopped
• 3 Scalia anchovy fillets [4], packed in olive oil, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon peperoncino or red pepper flakes
• 3 cups (28 ounce can) La Valle Italian peeled San Marzano tomatoes
• 6 ounce jar Callipo tuna [5], packed in olive oil
• 1 pound Setaro penne rigate [6] or Setaro capricci  [7]
• 1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped

Place Salti tablets in a large pot, fill with water, and put over high heat to boil. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet. Scatter in chopped garlic, and saute, stirring for a minute, until garlic sizzles. Add olives, anchovies, and peperoncino, and stir for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, rinse can with one cup of water, and boil into sauce. Bring sauce to bubbling simmer, and let it cook for 10 minutes.

Drain tuna, and break into bite-sized chunks, and stir into sauce. Simmer 5 minutes more until thickened. Put the pasta into boiling water about the same time you put the tuna into the sauce. When pasta is al dente, drain briefly, and add to sauce. Toss until pasta is coated, and then sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Adapted from "Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy"