BIG TONI’S ITALIAN KITCHEN

The perfect pantry pasta.                          Oct 2017

Pasta with tuna, tomato and garlic

I made this last night having just returned from Majorca. 

It only takes two or three hours to fly to London from anywhere in Europe but by the time you take into account the getting to the airport, the security, the baggage, and the getting from the airport to home. It can take anything from 5 to 8 hours. I got home knackered and wanted to make pasta from what I had in the pantry and this is for me is one of the perfect pantry pasta’s, its tasty and it’s incredably quick to make, Pasta with tuna, tomato and garlic.


For 5 to 6 people

    3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

    3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

    2 400g tins of whole Italian tomatoes

    2 200g Jars of tuna in olive oil

    4 anchovy fillets

    1 tablespoon of butter

    500g pasta

    2 tablespoons of salted capers washed

    salt and pepper


How to make:


Sauté the garlic and anchovy in the olive oil until the garlic turns pale gold. Add the tinned tomatoes with their juice, stir and chop the tomatoes, and simmer steadily for 20 to 30 minutes, until the oil separates from the tomatoes. Turn off the heat.


Drain the tuna and add it with the capers to the tomatoes, stirring to distribute it evenly. Taste for seasoning and correct for salt. Add freshly ground black pepper, and the butter and mix again.


Toss with pasta. This goes well with spaghetti, rigatoni and penne.


I used tuna packed in oil you can use the Tuna packed in brine, but in this recipe I think it makes a difference. 

Serve and enjoy a great pasta without going to the shops.



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Jason’s Wine recommendations

Rich tuna and briny capers and anchovies it can be paired with something 

with some zing.

Nord Est Vermentino  Good value from Majestic £8.99

The perfect pantry pasta – For me this is a plate of Southern Mediterranean flavor’s. As it has no cheese but has the rich tuna and briny capers and anchovies it can be paired with something with some zing. A little known white grape variety is Vermentino, widely planted in Italy. A dry refreshing white wine bursting with fruit, perfect to remind you of these summer sunshine days. Nord Est 


Hope you enjoy it.

A few jars of L’isola D’oro Tuna arrived from Italy this week and I have to say I am impressed. We often buy Tuna in Jars, as the quality tends to be much better than one gets in the tins and you can see exactly what you are getting, 


The “Isola d’Oro” tuna fillets are brilliant, preserved in good olive oil. The fillets are whole and slightly pink with a fresh taste and a wonderful fragrance. They would grace any meal from a simple Tuna sandwich to the recipe featured here…

The perfect pantry pasta.


L’isola D’oro has a whole range of products including a squid Ink which I will try over the next few weeks.

I hope they are all as good as this Tuna.

They also sent an amazing book with some of the best photographs I have seen featuring the biggest news and sporting events of 2017.