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A close-up of a plate of spaghetti topped with a chunky tomato sauce, green olives, fresh chopped parsley, and a generous layer of golden brown breadcrumbs. The dish is served on a speckled ceramic plate.

Spaghetti al Tonno with Brown Butter Lemon Breadcrumbs

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Spaghetti al tonno built on slow-cooked fennel, anchovy oil, and three tins of Fishwife lemon tuna. Brown butter breadcrumbs with lemon zest finish the bowl.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 2
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Californian, Italian
Calories: 899

Ingredients
  

Brown Butter Lemon Breadcrumbs
  • tablespoon unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • ½ teaspoon lemon zest
  • kosher salt
Tonno Sauce
  • tablespoon olive oil
  • 2-3 anchovy filets oil-packed anchovy fillets
  • ½ medium fennel bulb top and core removed, very thinly sliced
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ cup castelvetrano olives pitted and roughly torn
  • ½ jar tomato puree
  • 3 tins Fishwife Spanish Lemon Tuna do not drain
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped
Pasta & To Finish
  • ½ lb spaghetti cooked al dente, pasta water reserved
  • olive oil for drizzle
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 handful fresh basil whole leaves
  • sea salt flaky salt

Equipment

  • large wide skillet
  • Small Skillet
  • Large pot
  • fine grater or microplane
  • Plate (for cooling breadcrumbs)

Method
 

  1. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook, swirling occasionally, until foam subsides and milk solids turn deep amber.
  2. Add panko and stir constantly until evenly golden and crisp. Pull off heat immediately.
  3. Add lemon zest and a pinch of kosher salt off heat. Toss to combine.
  4. Spread on a plate to cool completely.
  5. In a large wide skillet over medium heat, warm olive oil. Add anchovy fillets and cook, pressing with a spoon, until completely dissolved, about 2 minutes.
  6. Add fennel and sea salt to the anchovy oil. Cook gently for 10 – 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fully softened, translucent, and sweet.
  7. Add olives and let warm for 1 minute.
  8. Add tomato puree, stir well, and bring to a gentle simmer. You're looking for a bare simmer: small bubbles breaking the surface, not a rolling boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 8 minutes.
  9. Gently slide in tuna with all of its liquid. Fold once or twice to keep tuna in large pieces. Simmer for 5 minutes until warmed through.
  10. Add cooked spaghetti directly to the pan. Toss to coat, adding pasta water a splash at a time to loosen and gloss the sauce. If the sauce looks tight or greasy, add pasta water a tablespoon at a time, tossing between additions, until it looks silky.
  11. Cook together for 2 – 3 minutes. Stir in parsley.
  12. Twirl into warm bowls and drizzle with olive oil.
  13. Finish with brown butter breadcrumbs and flaky salt at the table.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 899kcalCarbohydrates: 96gProtein: 66gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 117mgSodium: 1503mgPotassium: 1006mgFiber: 6gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 735IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 134mgIron: 7mg

Notes

Storage: cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water; add fresh breadcrumbs at serving so they stay crisp.

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