What's for dinner: Tuna Marinara with Rigatoni.

While visiting Anne-Murray in Birmingham, I perused her Cooking Club's latest cookbook, Hot and Hot Fish Club Cookbook: A Celebration of Food, Family, and Traditions, and copied down this recipe. I made it one night last week and thought it was fabulous.



Tuna Marinara with Rigatoni
from the Hot and Hot Fish Club, Birmingham, Alabama

¼ cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil (I think I may have copied something wrong because I never found where to use the extra 2 T of olive oil - I also think I would use a little less than a quarter cup next time for the tuna steaks)
2 6-ounce center cut tuna loin steaks or canned tuna in oil (though Robert doesn't like canned tuna, he enjoys fresh tuna steaks. Albacore steaks were on sale at my grocery store so I used those)
1½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
¾ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
¾ cup julienned onions
¼ cup peeled and thinly sliced garlic (about 5 cloves)
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
¼ teaspoon oregano
¼ cup drained capers, roughly chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley (which I forgot to buy)
16 ounces rigatoni, cooked al dente and drained

Heat ¼ cup olive oil in sauté pan over medium-high heat. Season the tuna steaks on all sides with 1¼ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Add tuna to hot oil and sear on all sides until cooked through, 10-12 minutes. Remove and set aside. Reduce heat to medium and add onions. Cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and red pepper and cook 4 minutes, being careful not to let the garlic burn. Return seared tuna to pan and break into large chunks with wooden spoon. Stir 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, oregano, capers and remaining salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in parsley (assuming you remembered to buy it, ahem). Toss with rigatoni and serve immediately.

I also grated some fresh Parmesan on top as I think that makes everything better!

Serves 4-6.