Square Spaghetti with Tuna Ragù. “This is how we make ragù” were the first words my mother-in-law told me when she presented this dish to me. I remember it like it was yesterday, but it’s been almost 46 years. As if to justify using fresh fish instead of meat, and that day it was tuna. They were fishermen. Since then, 9 times out of 10, the Sunday ragù I make is fish-based. Fresh tuna is considered by many to be a lean fish; indeed, the only fatty portion is the belly, while the back and tail are much leaner.

Thought for you:

Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Inexpensive
Preparation time: 20 Minutes
Portions: 4
Cooking methods: Stovetop
Cuisine: Regional Italian
Region: Sicily
Seasonality: All Seasons

537.34 Kcal

calories per serving

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Energy 537.34 (Kcal)
Carbohydrates 37.98 (g) of which sugars 1.70 (g)
Proteins 34.11 (g)
Fat 22.30 (g) of which saturated 5.94 (g)of which unsaturated 6.62 (g)
Fibers 4.55 (g)
Sodium 603.95 (mg)

Indicative values for a portion of 400 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA^* and FoodData Central^** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.

^* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ^** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov

Ingredients

let’s do the shopping

1.1 lbs tuna (red)
1 red Tropea onion
1 stalk Celery
1/4 cup White wine
1.8 oz green olives in brine
3 cups Tomato puree
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
to taste salt
to taste Pepper
to taste Sugar
10.5 oz Square Spaghetti
10 leaves Basil
1 tablespoon capers in salt (Desalted)

Square Spaghetti with Tuna Ragù

Tools

what we need to make the

Cutting Board
Knife
Pan non-stick
Wooden Spoon

Preparation

to prepare

Buy the freshest tuna. Its color should be between red and a slightly burgundy red. Usually, tuna is displayed without the entrails, but if you find them, it’s much better, it’s a sign of freshness. Also, the blood around the fishmonger’s counter should be rather fluid and not coagulated.
Remove the skin and any bones from the slices.
Then chop it with a knife until it resembles ground meat.
In a non-stick pan, chop the onion and celery stalk, add the capers, olives, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, but not much, just enough to make a sauté. Keep the flame low for 3/4 minutes.
Then add the chopped tuna and basil leaves, stirring constantly over low heat until the tuna changes color.
As soon as the tuna lightens, deglaze with white wine, stir, and let all the alcohol evaporate.
Once the alcohol has evaporated, add the tomato puree. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and if necessary, add a pinch of sugar to correct the acidity.
Stir and cover with a splatter guard. Let it cook over low heat for 40 minutes, ensuring it doesn’t dry out too much. It should be as thick as meat ragù. Meanwhile, put the water on for the pasta.
Once the pasta is cooked, transfer it to the ragù pan and mix it on the heat. Plate it with a sprig of basil and a few drops of extra virgin olive oil.
and here is the dish along with the main course.
enjoy your meal.