|
This dish is not at all a traditional Italian American dish. I don’t know of anyone who prepared anything remotely like it. Nonetheless, it’s well worth trying. I put this recipe together after perusing Pellegrino Artusi’s La scienza in cucina e l'arte di mangiare bene (The Science of the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well) Who but an Italian could align science and art when it comes to food? I was looking for chicken recipes and I came across one that called for cold chicken breasts in a sauce of anchovies and tuna. Of course, this seemed rather appealing. At the time however, I did not have cold chicken breasts on hand but I had just finished a Pollo Cilentano that you can find on this site.
Pollo Cilentano
|
La Scienza della cucina e l'arte di mangiare bene
I made the anchovie and tuna sauce and added it over the chicken. Excellent.The sauce added another deep layer of rich “umami” flavors. Then it occurred to me that the tuna and anchovies would be a terrific accompaniment to spaghetti. And I was right. Again the richness of the fish was the perfect addition. I also added some olives and hot pepper flakes and they intensified the flavors even further. To give more body to the texture a good dash of breadcrumbs and pecorino Romano tied it all together. Give this a try.This is a recipe that couldn’t be easier or more flavorful.
|
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Mise en Place - Getting things together
|
Equipment
Large pot for the pasta Skillet or wok for the sauce Tongs Wooden spoon |
Ingredients
Spaghetti
Olive oil High quality tuna in olive oil (preferably safe catch) Anchovies Bread crumbs (1 good size cup or more) Pecorino Romano Black pepper Red pepper flakes (optional to taste) Olives (optional to taste) |
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Preparation
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Spaghetti
Set the spaghetti to boil. Do about a minute less than the package recommends. The spaghetti will finish in the sauce. 
Pasta Water and Olives
Add about two ladles (one cup) of the pasta water to the anchovies and tuna. Add the olives if you choose. 
Bread Crumbs
Add the bread crumbs and some of the Pecorino. Stir well. If it is too dry add a bit more pasta water. If too wet, add a bit more bread crumbs. The bread crumbs will become a creamy sauce. |
Anchovies and Tuna
In a saucepan or wok (I prefer a wok for all sauces) add some olive oil to cover the bottom. Crush the anchovies and tuna to a mash. Add red pepper flakes if desired. 
Spaghetti
Using tongs transfer the spaghetti to the sauce and stir. Let the spaghetti simmer for a minute or two. 
Serve family style
Garnish with parsley, cheese and bread crumbs. Drizzle a bit more olive oil. |
