As I write this column, Christmas seems like just yesterday, yet now we are facing Lent. How can this be? For many, the season of Lent carries with it some culinary traditions or, some may say, “restrictions”: fasting, giving up a favorite food or drink and meatless Fridays.
At the Ruggieri house, Friday meals in Lent were pretty grim—at least in my then-childish view. But today, many of these same foods are not only popular but considered “high-end.” Lentils made a frequent appearance for our meatless Fridays, simply boiled in salt water, placed in a soup bowl, and drizzled with a little olive oil. Served with crusty Italian bread, it was truly peasant fare. Or we might have been served chickpeas (my mother called them ceci’s) mixed with some elbow macaroni. I missed meat!
In Italy, the season of Lent, preceded by the winter celebration of Carnivale (much like our Mardi Gras) is a time of austerity. A lot of Italian Catholics eat no meat at all during Lent, while others abstain only on Ash Wednesday and Fridays. So, while searching for meatless dinner alternatives during Lent and other times, I have “discovered” and fallen in love with Italian tuna.
Authentic Italian tuna, which is available in cans or glass jars, is considered “light tuna” rather than white or albacore tuna. My favorite is made by Flott, which can be obtained online or in Italian specialty stores. This is yellow-fin tuna. While expensive, it has a richness and depth of flavor that can’t be found in most supermarket brands. Paired with some sliced tomatoes, a few capers and Italian bread, it can even be lunch right out of the jar.
I have a favorite tuna pasta recipe that is one of my “Thursday night specials”: a nutritious late-week meal made entirely with pantry ingredients when the refrigerator and freezer are getting bare. It works in the winter as a heated dish but also can be turned into a chilled pasta salad in the summer. And, depending on what I have available, the recipe varies. I try to use good, imported tuna but, if you prefer, you can use a well-known grocery store brand. Make sure you find one that is packed in olive oil (Bumble Bee makes a fairly good product). Tuna packed in water will not do!
Here is my tuna pasta, winter version, a great dish for Lent or anytime.
Ingredients
- 10 to 12 oz Italian tuna packed in olive oil
- ½ medium sweet onion, chopped into medium dice
- 1 or 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 ½ cups cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup sliced black olives (Greek, Nicoise, etc.)
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Lemon juice from ½ lemon
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ to ½ cup finely minced Italian parsley
- ½ pound pasta, cooked al dente, any shape you like
- Salt and pepper to taste
Recipe
- Heat the olive oil in a 10-to-12-inch sauté pan and cook the chopped onion until gold in color and translucent. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes and cook just for a minute.
- Add the rinsed cannelloni beans, the olives and the tuna, gently stirring to combine (the tuna should remain in fairly large chunks).
- Remove from heat and keep warm.
- When the pasta is done, remove ½ cup pasta cooking water before draining.
- Place the pasta in a large bowl and add the tuna mixture, combining all with a large spoon.
- Sprinkle the juice of ½ lemon and the minced parsley over the pasta and toss again.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- If the pasta needs more moisture, add a little of the pasta cooking water or extra olive oil. I usually add more red pepper flakes on my portion.
This pasta dish is so good with warm, crusty Italian bread. And you can be creative by adding other ingredients like chopped roasted red peppers, capers or halved cherry tomatoes. If you’re able to find imported Italian tuna, I hope you will try it. As with all cooking, the quality of the ingredients makes such a difference.
The quiet, reflective period of Lent has its place in our lives. But, if you make this pasta dish on one of those meatless Fridays, it will not feel like a sacrifice.
