Blond Puttanesca (Linguine With Tuna, Arugula and Capers)
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- Kosher salt
- 12ounces linguine
- 3tablespoons olive oil
- 3garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ½teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving if desired
- 10anchovies, roughly chopped
- 3tablespoons capers, rinsed well if salt-packed
- 5ounces baby arugula or other young greens, such as pea shoots or kale
- 1(6-ounce) jar oil-packed Italian tuna, drained and flaked
- ¼cup chopped Italian parsley, plus more for serving if desired
- Black pepper
- Flaky salt, for serving (optional)
- Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
489 calories; 13 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 67 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 26 grams protein; 574 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until it is just under al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain, reserving 1½ cups of the pasta cooking water.
- Step 2
While pasta cooks, make the sauce: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook until garlic is pale golden, about 1 minute. Add anchovies and capers and cook until anchovies have melted and capers begin to brown slightly, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Step 3
Turn heat to medium. Ladle a ½ cup of reserved pasta water into the skillet and bring mixture to a simmer. Cook until mixture is reduced by about half, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add in arugula and ladle in an additional ½ cup of pasta water, tossing together until wilted. Increase heat to medium-high and scoop pasta directly in to the skillet tossing with sauce until well coated. Add tuna to pasta and toss again until it is just warmed just through, about 1 minute. Ladle in an additional ¼ cup pasta water or more, to loosen up sauce and toss again. Sprinkle parsley over pasta and toss again. Season with salt and pepper.
- Step 4
Serve in bowls, with flaky salt, a squeeze of lemon, additional parsley and red-pepper flakes, if desired.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
EugeniaH
I made this with all the bells and whistles - green castelverano olives, panko with grated lemon rind, fresh cherry tomatoes, lemon wedges. Awesome!
KRB
THis was good and I'm going to try it again with a little tinkering. Between the anchovies and the capers, this ends up very salty. I'd go lighter on the salt in the pasta water than you would normally do.
Olga
Buonissima ricetta! Pasta always needs salted water to taste delicious. Use less of the salted pasta water, and less anchovies and capers if concerned with too salty a flavour....in fact 10 anchovies (better to use the ones packed in olive oil, and not the brined ones), and the 3 tabs capers are quite a lot. Rinsing well the salt from the capers is very important. Ciao from Tuscany!
Steve
Pet peeve: Pasta comes in 16 oz. boxes. But this recipe calls for 12 oz. of pasta. Pain in the next to either measure out 3/4 of the box contenets or adjust other ingedients upward. So I’m starting a grass-roots movement to advocate for pasta recipes based on 16 oz. of pasta. To the barricades!!
NanceG
Ooooh, no comparison. The Italians poach the tuna in olive oil it’s pavked in, so it ends up being a very firm, solid, meaty mass. It isn’t like the pale-flavored, flakey, watery North American tuna which breaks down and practically disappears. When you use the oil-packed solid Italian tuna, you’ll have a nice bit of texture and flavor in every bite. Don’t toss the oil from the jar!! It’s great for using in salad dressings or sautéeing a dish like this.
BC
I do think some amazing summer cherry tomatoes would make a very nice addition, to balance the saltiness.
melissa
This recipe delivered! Only change I might make next time, is add some white wine instead of water when sauteeing the garlic and I will definitely double the arugula or add it much later in the cooking process. It shrunk too much.
Gary
10 anchovies = 2.5 tsp
andrea
This came out fantastic! Easy, salty, briny, spicy. Just be careful with salt and taste as you go along. I used salt cured capers and even after rinsing them, they were salty enough that the pasta didn’t need any additional flaky salt. Lemon at the end is a must. Serve with a simple tomato salad with basil and boom. Dinner is done. Yum.
Peg
Made this last week and loved the flavors. However, the arugula was too limp. I would add it later, with the tuna, and gently fold in for a minute or two. I will definitely make it again!
Sue Chamberlain
A dish very similar to this was served in San Francisco in a very small neighborhood restaurant. One thing they added that was a great balancer “Golden Raisins”. I loved the dish and I’m glad to have this recipe to riff on.
huja
Great minds think alike, I suppose . . . I had a couple of Roma tomatoes that I skinned, seeded, and diced that I mixed in the last step to add a little freshness and color to the dish. I'm avoiding refined carbs these days so it was whole wheat spaghetti in my recipe. This works out great because the whole wheat pasta pairs well with big, flavorful sauces. I'd make this recipe again.
Barbara G
I used spiral vegetables instead of pasta! Yumzy
Nina
This was great, and I followed it to a T, except for adding parsley. One thought though, maybe add pine nuts instead of panko. I think the crunchy, nutty flavor would be a great addition! :-)
NJ resident
This is tasty with canned Italian tuna but what if you don't have any? Use canned Alaskan salmon instead. I've made it with pink and sockeye and they are both delish, especially with chopped green olives and some thinly sliced celery (don't cook it and add at the end and toss with hot pasta). I usually add additional olive oil to taste.
Gary K.
I like this with a can of lightly smoked salmon (I like the Trader Joe's a lot) instead of Italian jarred tuna. Plus I always have one of those handy.
Alice
This is both unusual and very tasty. It takes no time to throw together. Big hit all around.
SM
I never leave comments on NYT recipes, but I had to break my rule for this one. This recipe SLAPS. Restaurant-level food with max 20 min prep and cook time. Obsessed. Also, if you want to go all-in, use the oil from the anchovy can to coat the pasta. You’re welcome.
E
Delicious! A satisfying quick dinner for when we can’t be bothered to cook (or can’t think of anything). Took the advice of adding the arugula later - or half of it, actually. And added lemon zest and Parmesan (yes, I know it’s not traditional with fish pasta). Flavour bomb!
Bethany
I wanted to like this, but it seemed like way too much pasta...my capers and greens disappeared. If I make it again, I'll cut the pasta down to at least 8 oz.
Rae
Not sure I'm qualified to comment on this since I made a "vegan" version with "tunah" (and left out the anchovies - trust me, it's decently convincing), but I found it quite flavourful. Only thing I changed otherwise was adding some cherry 'maters + leaving out the pasta water because I can somehow never be trusted to remember to save some water before dumping. If you're similarly spacey, I'd recommend some extra olive oil + parm (vegan or otherwise) to provide a similar sauce lube + saltiness.
Fernando
Made it as written and it was amazing! Bursting with flavor, and a good hit of heat too. I used the oil from the tuna and the anchovies to sauté the garlic, because why not? And arugula as the green stuff. Oh, and I used the whole pound of pasta without making any adjustments to the sauce. Still perfect. This is the rare pasta recipe where the sauce really does come together as the pasta cooks, so go for it! A keeper!
jadams
Good: it was quick and easy, and I had everything on hand. Bad: it was bland, even with extra garlic and lemon from the garden. If it weren’t for the toasted panko with lemon zest it would have been a washout. I suppose with enough iteration it could work, but as written it’s a solid meh.
Joe
Made with six garlic cloves and fresh squid ink pasta — fabulous! Really excited to try this again with olives
Karen
Made with half the anchovies and still was found inedible by half the family. I guess we’re a one-anchovy group; be aware of your usual preference and go with that.
ACM623
Excellent with seared fresh tuna (omit canned) on the side. Added some cherry tomatoes with the greens, a 2 oz can of anchovies and thinly sliced sweet onion (use the oil to sauté onion and garlic!) served with lemon wedges. Didn't need the bread crumbs or olives. So good!
Marie
Love the idea of a "blond" puttanesca. I didn't have capers or sardines, so I used sundried tomatoes for that salty burst of flavor. Came out great.
LaurieKY
I read all the positive reviews and thought this would be outstanding, but even though I followed the recipe pretty closely (I’m generally prone to tinkering), the sum was far less than its parts. The delicious (and expensive) oil-packed tuna…lost. The capers and anchovies…same. Though thank goodness for the panko/lemon zest, and a sprinkle of finishing salt, which fortunately made it edible.
Amo Coquere
Love, love, love this pasta! I do add a bit more pasta water. I make the full recipe and eat it over the course of a few days as I’m the only family member who likes tuna … lucky me!
Amanda B
Made fresh pasta - amazing Fettuccine Didn’t have arugula- added leek with garlic- also v good but try with arugula next time Squeezed half lemon at end 10/10 AMAZING recipe for company or special occasion
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