BUCATINI WITH TUNA

Bucatini With Tuna image

Bucatini is tossed with dense chunks of tuna poached in olive oil in this recipe from Barbuto in New York. Lynn McNeely, a sous-chef at the restaurant in 2005, bolstered the flavor with black olives, capers and chile flakes, and added complexity to the texture with chickpeas and a shower of bread crumbs.

Provided by Florence Fabricant

Categories easy, lunch, quick, pastas, main course

Time 30m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

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Ingredients

Salt
1 pound bucatini (or penne)
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 small shallot, minced
2 large pinches chile flakes, or to taste
1/2 cup pitted oil-cured black olives, sliced
1/4 cup large salt-cured capers, well-rinsed
1/2 cup canned chickpeas
12 ounces imported canned solid tuna, drained
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup chopped mint leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup coarse, lightly toasted bread crumbs

Steps:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook bucatini for about 8 minutes, until al dente.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a very large skillet if using bucatini, a large skillet for penne. Add garlic and shallots. Sauté until soft. Add chili flakes, olives, capers and chickpeas and cook another minute or so. Break up tuna in flakes and add. Cook until ingredients are warm. Remove from heat.
Drain pasta, reserving about a cup water. Add pasta, parsley and mint to skillet. Return to low heat and toss well. Add remaining olive oil and pasta water to moisten ingredients. Season with salt, black pepper and more chili flakes if desired. Transfer to a warm serving bowl, top with bread crumbs and serve.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 518, UnsaturatedFat 12 grams, Carbohydrate 69 grams, Fat 15 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 27 grams, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 469 milligrams, Sugar 3 grams, TransFat 0 grams