Venetian tuna melt pasta

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PRESENTATION

Americans love a good tuna sandwich at least as much Italians love a good tuna pasta, therefore the solution might just be the spin off of an old recipe from Venice: tuna melt pasta. A super easy, no-cook sauce whose color palette and look recall one of the most of popular fish dishes from the Lagoon (Venetian style cod). Northern Italian cuisine, in fact, doesn't use tomatoes as much as the southern Italian cuisine historically does. Could be because tomatoes grow well in southern Italy where is hot, and not so well in the North.

The tuna melt pasta comes together while the pasta cooks. Adding some pasta water creates a creamy texture in a process called "risottatura": the pasta is partially cooked in water, then transferred to the pan with the sauce, and cooked directly in the pan, constantly adding water whenever the pasta absorbs it, until cooked to perfection.

The tuna melt pasta will have a nice crunch and will be creamy at the same time. To add pops of flavor, the capers and chives will do the rest. Cheese is optional but highly recommended. While Italians are not keen on the fish/cheese combination, this recipe takes the American approach with a good aged white Cheddar cheese added to the mix. You be the judge.

INGREDIENTS

Linguine pasta 14 oz (400 g)
Tuna in oil 8 oz (225 g) - drained
Butter 4 oz (120 g) - unsalted, softened
Lemon zest to taste - organic
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cheddar cheese ½ cup - white, aged, grated
for the garnish
Capers 2 tbsp (15 g) - drained and pan fried
Chives to taste
Lemon zest 4 pinches
Preparation

How to prepare Venetian tuna melt pasta

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, cream together the butter, the tuna and some lemon zest. Salt and pepper to taste.

Cook the pasta in salted water about 3 minutes shy of the time directed on the package.

Drain the pasta, reserving the pasta water. 

Return the tuna/butter cream and the pasta to the pan and stir adding pasta water a little bit at a time as needed.

After a few minutes the pasta should be perfectly cooked and creamy. Fold in the cheese, stir and serve.

Top with extra pepper, the chives, the capers and the extra lemon zest to taste.

Serve at once.

Advice

This pasta is great also with the addition of shrimps or any shell fish.

Diced black or green olives could also be added, if desired.

Parsley or cilantro could be used for garnish, as well as "colatura d'alici".

If you decide to go for edible flowers to decorate the plate, we recommend Nasturtiums for their peppery flavor that will compliment the dish.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.