Rocco’s Tuna Aglio e Olio is a guilty pleasure. Ron used to race mountain bikes with Rocco and they became pretty good friends. Rocco was of Italian descent, and he loved all things Italian. It was easy to derail any conversation by whispering in his ear, “Italy.” His single-mindedness could be a bit trying, but I must say, he was his authentic true self. You had to admire that. He had a big garden, and he loved to cook, so he was all right by me.
This dish was one of his favorites and he would make it frequently for Ron. When Ron described it to me I was a bit put off – canned tuna? So much garlic, and so much olive oil! I know it’s a healthy oil, but still. I was hesitant, until I tasted Tuna Aglio e Olio. It is so amazing and crave-worthy! Once of those rare dishes that deserves to be called luscious. Sometimes it’s better to ask for forgiveness rather than pass up a good thing. Somewhere along the way I began adding in some spinach – redemption. Not only does it assuage my guilt a bit, the vibrant and silky greens actually makes this dish even better!
Rocco’s Tuna Aglio e Olio
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 3 heads garlic
- fresh parsley
- 5 anchovies
- 2 cans tuna, packed in oil
- 12 ounces Barilla gluten-free spaghetti
- 12 ounces baby spinach
Instructions
- Put the pasta water on to boil and prep the garlic – Fill your pasta pot with water and bring it to a boil. While it's coming to temp, peel and coarsely chop the two heads of garlic and mince the other head of garlic. Chop the parsley and set aside.
- Start the sauce and drop the pasta – Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the coarsely chopped garlic and the anchovies. Cook over medium heat until the garlic begins to take on some color. Add the tuna and its oil to the pan, breaking it up with your wooden spoon as much as possible. Once the pasta water has come to a full boil, salt the water generously, then drop in the pasta. Stir and set your timer for 2 minutes shy of the pasta cooking instructions on the box.
- Strain the pasta and add it to the skillet – Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then strain the pasta. Add the minced garlic to the skillet then pour in the pasta. Stir to combine and remove from the heat.
- Finish – Add the spinach to the pan and cover it. After the spinach has wilted, use tongs to toss the pasta, the sauce, and the spinach, adding a bit of the reserved pasta water if needed. Pour into a serving bowl or individual bowls, and serve.
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