This is one of those meals that makes you grateful for a well-stocked pantry.
Tinned tomatoes, tuna, olives, capers and pasta can become a proper dinner in around 20 minutes.
It’s salty, savoury and full of flavour — exactly the sort of meal I enjoy when there’s very little fresh food left in the fridge.
Serves: 4
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15–20 minutes
Ingredients
- 400 g spaghetti or linguine
- 2 × 185 g tins tuna, drained
- 1 × 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 4 anchovy fillets (optional)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup black olives, sliced
- 1–2 tbsp capers
- ½ tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)
- 1 tbsp tomato purée (optional)
- Fresh parsley, if available
- Black pepper
Method
- Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta until al dente.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat.
- Add the garlic, anchovies and chilli flakes. Cook gently until fragrant and the anchovies begin to dissolve.
- Stir in the tomatoes and tomato purée, if using.
- Simmer for 8–10 minutes.
- Add the olives and capers.
- Gently fold through the drained tuna and warm for another 2 minutes.
- Add the cooked pasta with a splash of its cooking water and toss everything together.
- Finish with black pepper and parsley.
The Bitsa Version
No tuna? Try sardines or leftover cooked fish.
No capers? Extra olives will still give the sauce plenty of flavour.
Fresh tomatoes can replace the tinned tomatoes when the garden is producing well.
What Could I Add?
- A handful of spinach or kale
- Fresh cherry tomatoes
- Chopped parsley
- Roasted capsicum
- Extra chilli
- White beans for a more substantial meal
Make the Next Meal Easier
Keep tuna, tinned tomatoes, olives and capers in the pantry and you’ve almost always got dinner covered.
Mrs E Tip: Anchovies are one of my favourite pantry ingredients. They melt into the sauce and add savoury depth without making the whole dish taste overwhelmingly fishy.