Elaine Cooks

Puttanesca con Tonno is a comforting and tasty italian sauce that may be made almost entirely from pantry ingredients. This is an easy to make sauce that may be made up to 3 days in advance. The additional time to settle actually enhances the flavor of this sauce, making it more robust for your enjoyment!

Mangia!

Ingredients

• 24 ounce can of whole plum tomatoes (I like Cento San Marzano canned tomatoes for its price point, availability in my local markets and, most important, quality)
• 1/2 of a large yellow onion (or 1 small yellow onion), chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic, 2 crushed in a garlic press and the remaining cloves thinly sliced
• 1/4 c. dry red wine
• Good quality italian tuna in a jar (I don’t recommend using canned tuna, as it loses its chunky texture during the cooking process) – I recommend reserving the oil for use in this or another recipe!
• 4-6 anchovies, chopped
• 1/4 c. kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
• 1/4 c. capers, drained and rinsed
• 2 tbsp. olive oil or, if adding italian tuna, the oil from the jar containing the italian tuna
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 c. fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

Warm over medium heat the olive oil in large dutch oven (I like to use Le Creuset pots). Crush two cloves of garlic in a garlic press and add to the olive oil. Stir the garlic around the pot to help flavor the olive oil, 1-2 minutes.

Remove the crushed garlic and add the onion, stirring until translucent, 3-4 minutes.

Add the sliced garlic, anchovies and oregano and stir, 1-2 minutes. Add the red wine, allowing it to cook down a bit.

Add the tomatoes, and stir. Season with salt and pepper. As the tomatoes cook, crush down the tomatoes with a wooden soup. Reduce to simmer and cover. Approximately 20 minutes.

Add the tuna, kalamata olives, capers and crushed red pepper, and stir. Cover for an additional 10-15 minutes.

Add the fresh parsley, and stir. Leave uncovered and simmer 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings, as desired.

Turn off stove and serve immediately with pasta or allow the sauce to cool and store in refrigerator for up to 3 days (the sauce will taste even better after a few days!).

Buon Appetito!