TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Linguine al Tonno Fresco e CapperiLinguine with Fresh Tuna and Capers
In the style of Mazara del Vallo, a Sicilian tuna fishing port. Fresh tuna is briefly cooked on the surface and left rare, then enjoyed simply with the saltiness and acidity of capers, olives and cherry tomatoes in this summer dish. Never overcook the tuna.
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Ingredients (4 servings)
- Linguine320 g
- Fresh tuna suitable for eating raw, in a blockCut into 1.5 cm cubes.300 g
- Cherry tomatoesHalved300 g
- Salt-packed capersRinse off the salt with water.2 tbsp
- Pitted black olivesRoughly chopped80 g
- GarlicThinly sliced3 cloves
- Dry white wine100 ml
- Extra virgin olive oil60 ml
- Fresh basil1 bunch
- Red chili1
- SaltFor seasoning the tuna and sauce, a small amount for each5 g
- Freshly ground black peppera little
Method
Season the tuna
- 1 Cut the tuna into 1.5 cm cubes.
- 2 Season lightly with 1/4 tsp salt and 3–4 turns of black pepper.
Ready when
Done when seasoned.
Rinse the capers
- 1 Rinse the salt-packed capers under running water for 30 seconds to remove the salt.
Ready when
Done when the saltiness has been removed.
Cut the ingredients
- 1 Roughly chop the black olives.
- 2 Halve the cherry tomatoes.
Ready when
Done when everything is cut.
Sauté the garlic
- 1 Thinly slice the garlic.
- 2 Place 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, the sliced garlic and chili in a frying pan over low heat.
Ready when
After about 3 minutes, remove the garlic when lightly colored.
Sauté the tomatoes
- 1 Add the cherry tomatoes and sauté over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, crushing them with a wooden spatula.
Ready when
Proceed when the moisture has evaporated and the sauce has thickened slightly.
Finish the sauce
- 1 MeanwhileStart bringing water to the boil in a large pot, with 10 g salt per 1 L water.
- 2 Add 100 ml white wine and cook off the alcohol for about 1 minute.
- 3 Add the capers and black olives and reduce for another 2–3 minutes.
- 4 Season with 1/4 tsp salt, sparingly because the capers and olives are salty.
Ready when
Done after reducing for 2–3 minutes.
Boil the pasta
- 1 Add the linguine to the prepared boiling salted water and cook until al dente, 1 minute less than the package time.
- 2 Reserve 100 ml cooking water.
Ready when
Lift out when al dente.
Toss the pasta
- 1 Lift out the linguine 1 minute before al dente and transfer to the frying pan.
- 2 Add 2–3 tbsp cooking water and toss over high heat for 1–2 minutes.
Ready when
Proceed when the sauce coats everything.
Add the tuna
- 1 Turn off the heat, add the tuna and gently toss for just 10–15 seconds in the residual heat.
Ready when
Done after mixing for 10–15 seconds. A rare pink center is the intended result.
Caution
Never overcook it.
Add basil and olive oil
- 1 Tear and scatter over the basil.
- 2 Drizzle with 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil.
Ready when
The dish is ready once the basil and olive oil have been added.
About this dish
Mazara del Vallo, a fishing port at the western end of Sicily, is the gateway to the largest tuna fishing grounds in the Mediterranean. On good days, its fishermen land bluefin tuna. The best cuts are eaten raw, and the rest goes into pasta: this is said to be the origin of the dish.
Sicilian capers, especially those from Pantelleria, are considered the finest. The saltiness and distinctive flavor of salt-packed capers are entirely different from those preserved in vinegar. Olives, capers and fresh tomatoes form an island classic that recurs throughout Sicilian cooking, tasting like a concentration of Mediterranean sunshine and salty breezes.
Tuna loses its savory flavor when overcooked. The technique of turning off the heat and cooking only with residual warmth has long been passed down in Sicilian fishermen’s cooking.
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