Fusilli with Tuna and Tomato Sauce

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis, sponsored by Visa 2009

Show: Everyday ItalianEpisode: Quick Italian Dishes

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (97)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(97)

Cook Time:
1 hr 28 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
6 servings

Times:

Prep: 17 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 1 hr 28 min
Total:: 1 hr 45 min

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Ingredients

1 pound fusilli
1 (26-ounce) jar Simple Tomato Sauce, recipe follows or other purchased marinara sauce
2 (6-ounces each) cans albacore tuna packed in oil, drained
1 tablespoon drained capers
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Directions

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the tomato sauce, tuna, capers, and lemon peel in a heavy large skillet. Using a fork, break the tuna into chunks. Simmer to blend the flavors, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to coat. Toss the pasta with enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Stir in the parsley and serve.

Simple Tomato Sauce

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

4 to 6 basil leaves

2 dried bay leaves

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional

In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and simmer covered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.

Add half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.

If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

Yield: 6 cups

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes

Ease of preparation: easy

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Fusilli with Tuna and Tomato Sauce
S Westwood, MA 11-10-2009
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Not a fan
Rated: 2 stars out of 5

Tried making a cheap and simple dinner but my husband and I thought it was awful. I even tried chili pepper flakes to add... some spice. Too much of a bad tuna aftertaste, will stick to my tuna out of a can for my sandwiches.Read more
recipe Fusilli with Tuna and Tomato Sauce
magster napa, CA 09-13-2009
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Fantastic for freezing ahead!!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This recipe is delicious. I used HIGH Quality tuna from a specialty market in Napa. It's $8.00 a jar, not the nasty cheap... canned stuff. It was worth every penny! This made enough for 6 leftovers for my husband and I, and tastes better every time. I froze 2 servings in freezer bags and just took them out to thaw once a week, serve with salad, and this thing ends up costing about $7.00 per dinner!!!! Freezes PERFECTLY!Read more
recipe Fusilli with Tuna and Tomato Sauce
Thao Viera, FL 08-18-2009
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Quick and Easy
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

So good and easy to put together. Plus, I've always got these ingredients in the pantry.
recipe Fusilli with Tuna and Tomato Sauce
monica sandy hook, CT 02-21-2009
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KID FRIENDLY
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This was a great recipe! I used the home made sauce, because i find store bought sauce is too sweet. I used albacore tuna... in water and found it to be just as good as long as enough pasta water was added at the end. I tested it on my daughter and 4 nephews and niece who are not big fans of tuna. It was a hit, and they all cleaned their plates! I'll definetly used the sauce in other recipes as well.Read more
recipe Fusilli with Tuna and Tomato Sauce
Shannyn Maricopa, AZ 10-05-2008
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YUM!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I adore this. I made it for the first time years ago when the episode originally aired and it is just perfect. It's salty and... tart and the tomato sauce almost gets creamy with the tuna in it. It's a really great dish. Perfect for me now that I'm pregnant and my cravings for citrus and sour things are through the roof!Read more
recipe Fusilli with Tuna and Tomato Sauce
kristina chino hills, CA 07-21-2008
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ehhh
Rated: 1 stars out of 5

Once my boyfriend tried this, he recommended that I feed the "slop" to the pigs.