Pasta with basil, tuna, olive and caper sauce
4 servings
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| 400 | G; (14-16oz), (400 to 450) | |
| ; conchiligie (pasta | ||
| ; shells) or other | ||
| ; pasta shapes | ||
| Salt | ||
| 1 | small | Onion; roughly chopped |
| 6 | tablespoons | Extra virgin olive oil |
| 1 | 185 gram tin tuna; drained, flaked | |
| 2 | tablespoons | Capers; rinsed and soaked |
| ; if | ||
| Salted; roughly chopped | ||
| 60 | grams | Black olives; pitted and roughly |
| ; chopped | ||
| 75 | grams | Currants |
| 45 | grams | Pine nuts |
| 2 | tablespoons | Chopped parsley |
| 3 | Garlic cloves; chopped | |
| 4 | Sun-dried tomatoes; roughly chopped | |
| 150 | millilitres | Water |
| 2 | tablespoons | Shredded basil; salt and pepper |
| Ingredients; (cont) | ||
| 16 | larges | Unblemished basil leaves; (16 to 20) |
| Olive oil and/or sunflower oil for deep; plenty of Parmesan | ||
| ; frying, shavings | ||
Directions
FOR THE SAUCE
FOR THE GARNISH
1 For the Sauce: Lightly saute the onion in oil in a saucepan and add the remaining ingredients, except the basil and salt.
2 Stir and simmer gently for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the water has evaporated leaving a moist, richly flavoured sauce.
3 This can be prepared in advance and reheated when needed. Shortly before serving, stir in the basil, taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt only if really needed.
4 Put a large pan of salted water on to the boil for the pasta. When it reaches a rolling boil, tip in the pasta, boil and cook until al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, pour sunflower or olive oil, or a mixture of both, into a small pan to a depth of about 3cm/1".
5 Heat until good and hot and test by dropping a small bread cube into the oil. If it sizzles and browns within 30 seconds, the oil is hot enough.
6 Fry the basil leaves in oil three or four at a time; fish out within 20-30 seconds, while still bright green. Drain on kitchen paper and repeat with the remaining leaves.
7 To serve, drain the pasta thoroughly, tip into a large, warmed serving bowl, pour in the hot sauce and toss to mix. Top with the deep-fried basil leaves and shavings of Parmesan. Eat at once.
Converted by MC_Buster.
Recipe by: Sophie Grigson's Herbs Converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.