As we become all too familiar with unpredictable situations and lockdowns on short notice, simple things like meal planning can become a tricky, especially with some produce items becoming harder to source than usual. Fortunately, this is one of those lockdown friendly recipes that doesn’t require a lot of fresh produce, can be bought in advance and stored in the pantry, ready to go when you're craving a big steaming bowl of comfort.
This recipe originally featured in Jamie Oliver’s 30 Minute Meals, and is not only a breeze to whip up, but is a crowd pleaser. Using an array of pantry staples like tinned tuna in oil, olives, capers and passata, the flavours instantly transport you to the vibes of a rustic Italian dining table.
The beauty of this dish is that you can make it your own. If you can’t get your hands on fresh parsley or lemon, fear not and if chili is not your thing, leave it out. Even though this is a recipe from Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals, if time is on your side let the sauce simmer for a little longer to let those flavours develop.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
500g dried spaghetti
225g tuna in oil
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp of drained capers
30g of anchovy fillets in oil
1-2 fresh chilies
Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley
Small handful of pitted black olives
A pinch of ground cinnamon
700g jar of passata
1 lemon
Method
Pour the oil from the tuna into a fry pan, reserving the tuna
Crush up the garlic finely and add to the pan on a medium heat
3.Add the capers and anchovies, including their oil
4.Chop the parsley stalks (reserve the leaves to garnish later) and chili up finely adding them to the pan
Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta
Add the tuna and break it up in the pan
Add the olives
Stir in the cinnamon and passata letting it simmer on a low heat
When the water is boiling, add your pasta and cook as per instructions on the packet
Once the pasta is cooked, drain and reserve some of the cooking water to add to the sauce
Toss the pasta through the sauce and top with the parsley leaves and juice of the lemon, serve and enjoy!
This dish also goes really well with a quick salad and garlic bread if you need the serves to go a bit further.
If you've made this dish or have a lockdown recipe request/suggest send a line at hello@clovarcreative.com