Pasta all'Eoliana Recipe
Description: This pasta alla Eoliana - from the Aeolian Islands - is something rather special. Cubes of sashimi‑grade tuna are kissed by a hot pan so they remain pink and juicy, then tossed through a gutsy dressing of capers, olives and herbs. It's pure Sicilian simplicity and utterly delicious if you love fresh tuna.
Ingredients
- Good quality extra virgin olive oil
- 1 white onion, peeled and sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thinly
- 400g/14ozs. Roma tomatoes, chopped (or 400g tin diced tomatoes)
- 2/3 cup/165ml/5.5flozs. white wine
- 1 cup/200g/7ozs black olives, pitted and halved
- 4 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
- 2 teaspoons chilli flakes (or to taste)
- 200g/7ozs. sashimi tuna, cut into diced sized cubes
- 250g/8.8ozs. rigatoni pasta
- 1/3 cup basil leaves, roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup parsley leaves, roughly chopped
- Parmesan or bottarga to shave on top
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot and add the onion and saute on medium heat until softened. Add the garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, white wine, olives, capers and chilli flakes and simmer until reduced for around 15 minutes. Test for seasoning-add a little sugar if the tomatoes aren't sweet enough and add salt and pepper to taste.
- While the sauce is cooking, cook the pasta in a big pot of salted boiling water. Drain and reserve a cup of pasta cooking water (I didn't need it but if your sauce is to thick, it helps). Add the pasta to the sauce and stir to coat adding some more olive oil. Then take it off the heat and add the tuna and stir gently and cook until tuna is cooked on the outside but still pink in the centre (a couple of minutes should be enough). Add the herbs and stir and spoon onto a serving plate. Shave parmesan or bottarga on top.