Tuna with Parsley Sauce (Tonno con Salsa al Verde)
My Bisnonna Maria used to make this for my Nonna after they moved to Turin from Bari. It’s a local dish in Piemonte that can be eaten all year round. I absolutely fiend for this recipe. What makes it so great is that you can make a bunch all at once and then freeze the rest for later, and it won’t affect the flavor of the sauce in the least. Stupendo!
I could eat this every week and still never get sick of it
Tuna and parsley sauce, aka tonno con salsa al verde, is a personal favorite of mine. It’s a great recipe for those of us with lazy bones that don’t feel like sweating over a stove after a long day of work. Sure, taking apart the parsley is a pain in the butt, but you can always hang back by the TV and multitask, so this step goes by quicker. How American of me.
Not only is the sauce simple and affordable (two of my favorite words), but it’s also delicious and straightforward to make. You honestly couldn't screw this up if you tried (not a challenge, people!)
Insert Homer Simpson gurgle here
All you need is three cans of tuna, two bundles of parsley, four cloves of garlic, four tablespoons of oil, and whichever cut of pasta floats your boat.
I chose rotini because it was what I had laying around, but my preferred shape for this recipe is orecchiette. My Nonna is partial to big shells or farfalle if you’d rather take her recommendation (she is the woman behind the recipe, after all!), but really any short cut of pasta will do as long as it traps those yummy garlic tuna chunks in its grooves.
Who can resist a rotini waterfall?
Ingredients
3 cans of tuna in olive oil
6-8 garlic cloves
2 big bunches of parsley
4 tablespoons of olive oil
Half a cup of pasta water
Pecorino-Romano or Parmigiana-Reggiano to taste
(optional): 1 lb. of pasta like rotini or farfalle
Instructions
Clean the parsley leaves and discard stems
Chop garlic and parsley. Put in a pan with olive oil on medium heat for 5 minutes
Add in drained tuna and mush it with a fork
Cook for around 5 minutes and add in a half a cup of water (pasta water works wonders)
Salt and pepper to taste and cook for 15 minutes on medium
Serve plain over pasta or with Pecorino-Romano cheese
