Todays Special: Spaghetti with Tuna & Rocket

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Whenever I pop into a local deli I am always so overwhelmed by all the fantastic colours and smells I immediately want to take everything home. I am easily beguiled by the beauty of an old fashioned label or a timeless tin. I am lucky that my magpie attention is drawn by the pretty packaging, the ambient goods, and not so much by the perishables. I can pop a packet of pasta in my bag, thereby fueling my fix, in the comfortable knowledge that my purchase will not be wasted. So like me you may have plenty of pasta in your pantry, the ideal rainy day food, if not then you are going to need a pack of spaghetti so pop along to your local independent food store and stock up.

The following recipe was given to me by my friend the author and gourmet adventurer,  Diane Seed, whom I am very excited is coming to stay with us this weekend. I hope I do Diane justice as I prepare it from memory not from the page. It is so simple I don't think I ever wrote in down.

Spaghetti with Tuna & Rocket

For two people you will need;

  • A tin of decent tuna in olive oil. I like the Maruzzella - probably for its packaging, perhaps it's the pipe smoking fish! - which I can easily pick up locally from the two branches of La Gastronomia for £2.35
  • Spaghetti
  • Rocket
  • Dried or fresh chili
  • Olive oil
  • Garlic
  • Salt and black pepper


Method:
  • Bring your pasta to the boil and allow to simmer in a saucepan or water with a little salt and a dash of olive oil.
  • In a frying pan gently fry some crushed garlic.
  • Add your dried or fresh, chopped chili
  • Pour in the contents of your tuna in olive oil and stir until heated through.
  • Strain your pasta and pour into the pan with your sauce and serve into bowls (try these huge 30 cm spaghetti bowls from Maxwell & Williams, the perfect bowl for any pasta dish) topped with a handful of rocket.
  • Season with black pepper.

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