Crispy Casarecce with Tuna : Have you ever heated up leftover pasta in a hot pan with olive oil and let it get all slick and crispy? This is basically the story of my life. I am always eating leftover pasta.
But I rarely think to intentionally make crispy pasta, even though I crave it whenever I see last night’s pasta dinner in the fridge. If you’re making this for a crowd, you can crisp up the pasta on a baking sheet in the oven or in batches on the stove top. If you want to get fancy, shave a little bottarga on top.
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 1 pound casarecce
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved crosswise 2 cloves garlic, mashed into a paste
- 6 ounces Italian or Spanish tuna packed in oil, drained, and pulled apart
- 6 ounces nocellara or other large green olive, pitted and chopped
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
- 3 ounces wild arugula
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- divided Freshly ground black pepper
- PASTA SHAPES: gemelli, strozzapreti, penne
How to Make Crispy Casarecce with Tuna, Tomatoes, and Arugula
- Fill a 6-quart pot with Bring it to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt. Cook the pasta until slightly firmer than al dente, 1 minute less than it says on the package. Drain, and run it under cold water. Line a baking sheet with paper towels, and spread the pasta on top to dry it out. The drier it is, the better it’ll crisp up!
- Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, garlic, tuna, olives, lemon zest, arugula, and cilantro in a large bowl.
- Melt the butter in your largest skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and when it’s hot, add the Cook for 3 minutes without stirring, then stir it around, and cook for another 3 minutes, until the pasta is slightly brown and crisp. Pour the pasta into the large bowl, right on top of the sauce, and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss it all together. Taste for salt and add a few grinds of black pepper. Serve immediately.
- SERVE Crispy Casarecce with Tuna WITH: minced jalapeño peppers, extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling.
