Spaghetti with Tuna, Chilli, Garlic and Capers

This refreshing and slightly spicy dish is a summertime favourite in my house. It's easy to rustle up - think aglio e olio with extra steps - and super moreish.

Step 1

De-seed your chilli and slice it into little strips, and slice your garlic into thin rounds (see photo). The sharper your knife is, the easier this step will be.

thinly sliced garlic and chilli on a red chopping board

Step 2

Start cooking your pasta. While that's bubbling away, get out a wide frying pan and gently heat the oil as you add about 15 grinds of fresh black pepper, along with your garlic and chilli. Make sure the garlic is evenly spaced out.

Step 3

Once the garlic starts (gently) fizzling, keep the heat low and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. You can then turn the heat off and the garlic and chilli will continue to cook in the hot oil.

There should be little to no browning on the garlic and chilli. If you see browning start to occur, you can add some cold butter to halt the cooking process or even a dash of pasta water.

thinly sliced chilli and garlic frying in a pan

thinly sliced garlic and chilli frying in a pan

Step 4

Your pasta will still be cooking at this point, so take this time to grate about a cup of parmigiano and open and drain your tin of tuna.

Step 5

While your pasta is still al dente, use some spaghetti tongs to transfer it to the pan with the chilli and garlic. (Transferring the pasta this way rather than draining it will result in some pasta water also ending up in your pan, which you want.)

Turn up the heat to medium and stir, then toss in the capers, tuna, and about half of the cheese. Fold it all together until the ingredients are evenly spread through the pasta. If it starts to feel sticky or dry, you can add a splash of pasta water but this shouldn't be necessary.

spaghetti with tuna and chilli cooking in a pan

spaghetti with tuna, capers and chilli cooking in a pan with some grated parmigiano reggiano

Step 6

I like to finish everything off with a squeeze of fresh lemon. Serve hot, garnished with the rest of the parmigiano, and enjoy!

two bowls of spaghetti with capers, tuna and chillis, garnished with parmigiano reggiano

Tips

Make sure the tuna you're using is in spring water, as brine will make it too salty. Tuna in sunflower oil would probably work but the only oil you want in this is olive oil, so find tuna in spring water if you can.
Some nice additions to this dish that I've used in the past include: sliced black olives, red pepper, and even crème fraîche.
If you forgot to stock up on fresh garlic, you can substitute for garlic granules.

Any questions or comments? I'd love to hear from you!Fire me an email at