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A bowl of pasta topped with tomato sauce, cherry tomatoes, herbs, and pine nuts sits on a dark table. In the background are a bottle of extra virgin olive oil and a box labeled Ancient Grain Pasta.

Sicilian Tuna Puttanesca with Lemon & Fennel Pollen

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A bold, briny bowl of tagliatelle tossed with oil-packed tuna, charred cherry tomatoes, and the floral lift of fennel pollen and lemon. Finished with toasted pine nuts for crunch. It's coastal Italy in a bowl.
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Prep Time 19 minutes
Cook Time 4 minutes
Total Time 23 minutes
Servings: 2
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean
Calories: 811
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta & Sauce
  • 6 oz Tagliatelle
  • 1½ cups Puttanesca sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
Protein & Flavor
  • 4 oz Oil-packed Sicilian tuna drained and flaked
  • 1 clove Garlic thinly sliced
  • ½ teaspoon Fennel pollen
  • 1 teaspoon Sicilian sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
Vegetables & Garnish
  • ½ cup Cherry tomatoes halved
  • 2 tablespoon Fresh parsley finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoon Toasted pine nuts
  • Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
  • Sicilian sea salt to taste

Equipment

  • Large pot
  • Large sauté pan

Method
 

Cook the Pasta
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the tagliatelle according to package instructions (10–12 minutes). Reserve ½ cup of pasta water, then drain.
Char the Cherry Tomatoes
  1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat.
  2. Add cherry tomatoes cut side down and cook undisturbed for 2–3 minutes, until lightly charred. Remove and set aside.
Infuse the Olive Oil
  1. In the same pan over medium heat, add sliced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Warm the Sauce & Tuna
  1. Pour in the puttanesca sauce and warm through, about 2–3 minutes.
  2. Gently fold in the flaked tuna. Keep the heat low to avoid drying it out.
Toss & Coat
  1. Add the drained pasta to the sauce. Toss to coat evenly.
  2. Stir in fennel pollen, lemon juice, and a few pinches of Sicilian sea salt.
  3. Use reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
Plate & Garnish
  1. Divide pasta into bowls.
  2. Top with charred tomatoes, chopped parsley, and toasted pine nuts.
  3. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with extra fennel pollen and sea salt to finish.

Nutrition

Calories: 811kcalCarbohydrates: 129gProtein: 25gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 143mgSodium: 49mgPotassium: 649mgFiber: 7gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1145IUVitamin C: 34mgCalcium: 125mgIron: 5mg

Notes

Storage: keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water to loosen the sauce, high heat will dry out the tuna. Add fresh pine nuts and parsley after reheating so they stay crisp and bright.

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