createTuna penne with rocket arugula and lemon
Our dear friend Jennie, who spent six months in Rome, came back with this amazingly delicious and simple recipe that is quintessential Roman. This Tuna penne with arugula and lemon recipe is one of those rare gifts that keeps on giving. It is quick and easy to prepare.
Prep & cook time: 15-20 minutes Serves: 4
Ready
- 1 lb dried penne pasta
- 200g tuna in olive oil (two small cans)
- 1 cup fresh rocket/arugula roughly chopped
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
- 2-3 dry red chili peppers (broken or chopped)
- 3-4 tbl olive oil
- Salt
Set
- Large pot to boil pasta
- Frying pan/skillet
- Colander
- Large serving bowl or dish
Go
- Bring a pot of water to full boil and add 1 tbl salt.
- Cook penne pasta according to directions and timing on package.
- Meanwhile over a low to medium low heat gently cook the oil, garlic and chili peppers in the skillet. Add tuna and keep warm.
- Drain pasta in colander when it is ready.
- Add pasta to serving dish.
- Stir in garlic chili oil.
- Toss with lemon juice and rocket.
- Serve immediately.
This is really good. Even my kids like it. And I like that I can whip it up fast when I am in a hurry.
This is definitely one of my favorite pasta recipes. You MUST use tuna in olive oil which is usually pretty salty, so be careful not to oversalt the pasta. This dish tastes best when served immediately after cooked. The arugula makes it a meal in a bowl. You’ll want it again and again…
Instead of fresh chili peppers, all I had was the red pepper flakes left over from pizza delivery from months ago. I ground them up in a old coffee grinder and tossed it in with oil and garlic and WOW! This dish is amazing. And easy. And fast. It takes about the time needed to boil pasta in water. Thanks.
Is penne required or can I make this with other types of pasta? I have some fettuccine.
By all means use any pasta you want. My preference is the penne as the thickness of the pasta just seems to fit — but then that is how I first made it. There is no law that says you must use the pasta I used. Let me know how it turns out.
I can confirm that this works quite well with Rigatoni (which I used instead of the fettuccine as it is closed in shape to penne). The lemon and the bitter arugula make for a perfect match. Who cares what shape the pasta comes in. It did not seem to matter.
btw - this goes great with the T.L.A.R. Mojito
This tuna with penne and arugula was an absolute delight. It is easy to make and very delicious. I love the lemon flavor.
I tried this only to discover that I was out of red chili peppers. Instead I chopped up some old red pepper flakes from the pizza delivery. Worked out great and saved mea trip to the store
When making pasta it is always helpful to reserve some of the starchy water that the pasta was cooked in. Add a little back to the pasta after you have drained it and the pasta will absorb the water in short order.
Also, if you have leftovers pouring a liberal amount of the pasta water over the pasta will ensure that it remains moist and delicious when you go to eat it the next day.
Quick, easy and really really tasty! Thanks. I’ve made this twice in the past week. I love the lemon and the arugula.