Florence Pasta with Spicy Tuna

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb package spaghetti or bucatini

• Sea salt or DC kosher salt

• Good olive oil, lots

• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes of whatever colors are to hand, halved

• 5-6 cloves garlic smashed, peeled, minced

• A couple of generous handfuls of fresh or frozen spinach, stems pinched off

• Juice of 1/2 lemon or more to taste

• Sea or kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

• 1 can tuna Tonnino or other gourmet tuna packed in spicy Thai chilis and olive oil, typically 5 to 6 ounces - with juices.

• Good Pecorino Romano cheese for topping

Preparation

1. Use about 1/2 of the pasta from the package. Check the cook time. Set a timer for 3 minutes less than the recommended cook time. Drop the pasta into the water making sure with a set of tongs to gently move the pasta around so that it doesn’t sink and stick.

2. Set a skillet large enough to hold the sauce and pasta over medium-high heat. Force yourself to add 2 or 3 times as much good olive oil as you usually would. 

3. When the oil is hot, add the halved tomatoes. They’ll cook quickly. If the skillet is too spattery, turn the heat down a bit. As the tomatoes begin to soften, add the garlic. When it’s very fragrant, add the tuna and its oil. Break up any large chunks with a wooden spoon. Turn down the heat to a good simmer.

4. When the timer goes off for the pasta, use tongs to lift it out of the boiling water and drop it directly into the skillet. 

5. Dip out a couple of ladles of pasta water and add to the skillet. Move everything around and together with your tongs. Toss in the spinach and add the lemon juice. Tong it all about until spinach is just wilted. Taste the sauce before you season to taste with salt and pepper. Use your tongs to lift pasta out onto plates. Divide any remaining sauce between them. 

6. Grate some good pecorino over the top

7. Serve with focaccia or baguette for dragging thru all the fabulous sauce.

Adopted from a Food52 Recipe

Urban Cowgill
Sept 2023 updated December 2025