Pasta al Tonno (Pasta with Tomatoes, Capers, and Canned Tuna)

My original plan was using canned tuna from Italy since I'm making this Italian pasta. But the price I saw left me in awe? These imported (to me) canned tuna came with a hefty price tag. It was so expensive, to a point I think I can even buy high quality fresh tuna instead.

Being a smart housewife, I sought help from the next best option, local canned tuna. I wouldn't be able to find out the taste difference between the Italian version versus Taiwanese version canned tuna, but I'll try to use the least-affected kind. That means canned tuna in oil but without any additives nor seasonings.

Pasta al tonno (pasta with tomatoes, capers, and canned tuna) - 

Ingredients (about 3 portions)?

• 350 grams linguine pasta 
• 1 anchovy fillet 
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 400 grams canned chopped tomatoes
• Some salt
• Some black pepper
• 2 cans/370 grams total canned tuna in oil
• Some extra virgin olive oil
• Some grated aged Parmigiano Reggiano
• Small bundle chopped parsley
• Some pasta water (just in case)

How? 

Peel and finely chop the garlic cloves. Finely chop the parsley. Slightly drain out excess liquid from the canned tomato. Drain out the oil from the canned tuna, scoop the meat out and set aside for later use.

Bring a big pot of water to a boil and add a few pinches of salt. Once boiling, cook the pasta till almost al dente in texture. 

Towards the end, scoop out some pasta water. Basically we don't need it, but just in case the pasta turns out too dry, then the pasta water can be used to dilute the sauce.

Try to sync the pasta cooking while prepping the sauce at the same time. If it goes well, the sauce is ready when the pasta is about ready too. That way, you can drain the pasta and transfer to the sauce right away instead of leaving the cooked pasta waiting on the side.

Use a big pan and drizzle in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Turn to medium heat. Add in one anchovy fillet along with 2 tablespoons of capers. Mix and cook till the anchovy breaks apart. About two minutes.

Add in chopped garlic and cook till aromatic but not burnt.

Pour in 1/2 cup of dry white wine together with 1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano and 1/2 teaspoon of red chili flakes. Turn to medium high heat and cook till the sauce reduced a bit.

Pour in semi-dried chopped tomatoes. Bring the whole thing to a simmer. Add in 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Cook till the sauce has been reduced a bit again. This time, about 5 minutes.

Transfer drained tuna and 2/3 of the chopped parsley over. Mix and cook for another minute or two.

Transfer drained pasta and mix together with the sauce till evenly blended. Taste and adjust with additional seasonings if needed. If the consistency appears too dry, add a little saved pasta water here.

Once ready, plate and drizzle some extra virgin olive oil. Grate some aged Parmigiano Reggiano for a boost of flavor. Garnish with remaining chopped parsley. 

Keep in mind that canned tuna and cheese are both slightly salty. So while tasting the nearly finished pasta, don't get too crazy on the amount of salt used. 

Other pasta recipes:

• Malfadine pasta bolognese 
• Spaghettini con la bottarga (to be exact, Asian karasumi)
• Black truffle pasta with aged Parmigiano Reggiano 
• Garlic shrimp pasta bake (with mozzarella, cheddar, and provolone)
• Chicken and shrimp tagliatelle in creamy saffron sauce

Matar Paneer (Green Peas and Indian Cottage Cheese)

Matar, sometimes also spelled as mutter, means green pea in Indian, so matar paneer simply means green peas and paneer cheese. It's one of the most popular dishes on the menu in Indian restaurants overseas. 

Matar paneer is packed with spices, so does other Indian dishes, but the flavor is slightly rounded off by the use of cheese and tomatoes. If you can't take as much heat, tone down the amount of chili powder used in this recipe.

Matar paneer (green peas and Indian cottage cheese) -

Ingredients?

Purée - 

• 2 tablespoons preferred cooking oil
• 1 1/2 red onions
• 10 garlic cloves
• 1 green chili (longer variety)
• 2 teaspoons peeled, chopped ginger
• 3 ripe tomatoes

Others - 

• 2 tablespoons preferred cooking oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 red onion
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 2/3 cup green peas
• 1 1/2 cups hot water
• 1 pack/200 grams paneer
• 1 small bundle cilantro

How?

For the ingredients listed under the "purée" section - peel and chop the onions, peel and chop the ginger, peel and roughly chop the garlic cloves. Destem and section the green chili, destem and chop the tomatoes. 

For other ingredients not under the purée section, Peel and finely chop 1/2 of the red onion. Cube the paneer. Finely chop the cilantro. 

Let's work on the purée first, so the ingredients mentioned below are the ones listed under the "purée" section. 

Drizzle two tablespoons of oil to a big pan and turn to medium heat. Add in chopped onion and stir-fry for couple minutes.

Add in garlic, green chili, and ginger. Stir-fry for couple minutes or so. Be careful not to burn the garlic bits.

Add in tomatoes and cook till softened. Turn off the heat and wait till the entire mixture cools down.

Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and blend till it forms a smooth paste/purée. Set aside for later use.

Switching gear now, the following ingredients are the ones listed under the "others" section. 

Drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil to a big pan and turn to medium heat. Add in 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds and let them sear for 30 seconds.

Add in finely chopped onion and cook till slightly browned on edges.

Add in 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder along with 1 teaspoon of chili powder. Stir and cook for one minute.

Pour in the earlier prepared purée and keep mixing it. Wait till the purée turns slightly dry and darkened, this will take longer time here.

Once ready, add in 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of coriander powder, 1 teaspoon of cumin powder, and 1 teaspoon of garam masala. Mix till blended and continue to cook for about 4 minutes or so. The color will get darker again and resemble the instant curry paste sold in grocery store.

Transfer green peas over and cook away the raw taste, about one minute.

Pour in hot water, about 1 1/2 cups, just enough to slightly cover all the ingredients. Put the lid on and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Keep the whole mixture under light bubbling stage. The lid is fairly important here because the sauce might start splashing here and there.

Towards the end, add in paneer cubes and give it a gentle mix. Cook for 5 more minutes.

Lastly, add in chopped cilantro and mix till blended. Matar paneer is now ready to serve. 

The whole process is actually not hard at all, just involves many spices and have to make the purée beforehand. That might also mean more cleaning to do and I'm not sure how you feel, but I'm definitely not a fan of washing blender and food processor. 

Good thing that the result is satisfying enough to overcome the hassles putting together matar paneer. 

Extended reading:

• Chicken tikka masala - putting my newly purchased garam masala to good use