Summers are hot. Summers in a house with no air conditioning are even hotter. To keep temperatures inside from rising past Real Sweaty and straight into Living on the Sun, I try to keep my stove time as short as possible when cooking anything. So when my friend Katie found a recipe for a quick pasta dinner that incorporated two of my favorite things — (1) tinned fish and (2) not being on fire — I immediately knew this was something I’d have to break out every summer.
All the things that go into the pasta are thrown into one bowl, and get this: it is “cooked” by placing that bowl on top of the pot of water while the pasta boils. The heat from the boiling water is enough to warm everything through so that you only need to use one stove burner and the stove only needs to be on as long as it takes to cook your spaghetti.
The result is a lovely light pasta, which is in no way lacking in flavor thanks to the meatiness of good canned tuna, tang of lemon and capers, and bitterness of arugula. I have made this four times this summer alone already…
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Yield: 3-4 servings
- 1 can (4.5 – 5 oz) of tuna packed in olive oil, drained
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Zest and juice of one small lemon
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 tbs minced black olives
- 2 tsp capers
- Half a 15-oz can of cannellini beans
- Pinch salt
- Handful of arugula
- Handful of parsley, chopped
- 1/2 lb spaghetti
In a heatproof bowl, combine the tuna, olive oil, garlic, olives, capers, beans, and salt. Give it a good preliminary stir.
Cook your pasta according to package instructions. When the water starts boiling and you dump the pasta in, put the heatproof bowl on top. I usually stick a wooden spatula in there to give the steam somewhere to go. You may need to lower the heat too if the boiling starts getting too intense.
When the pasta is al dente, remove the bowl from the top and set aside as you drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the bowl and toss so that the “sauce” is nicely distributed. Add in the arugula and parsley — the heat from the pasta should help it wilt. Season with more salt and some ground pepper as needed and serve immediately.
