Pasta With Garlic, Lemon, Capers, and Tuna

This quick and easy and delicious recipe for pasta with oil-packed tuna, garlic, white wine, capers, and lemon is the perfect weeknight meal.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 teaspoons finely minced garlic (about 3 cloves), divided
• 0.5 teaspoon dried red chile pepper flakes (or 1 small, dried red peperoncino, crushed with your fingers)
• 3 tablespoons salt-packed capers (soaked in water for 15 to 20 minutes and then rinsed thoroughly a few times to remove excess salt)
• 0.5 cup dry white wine
• 2 (6-ounces each) cans extra-virgin-olive-oil-packed yellowfin tuna (drained)
• Fine sea salt to taste
• 0.25 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (chopped)
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest (grated)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (broken into several pieces)
• 1 pound short pasta (cooked to al dente and drained, 1/4 cup of the cooking water reserved)
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Steps

1. In a skillet large enough to hold the pasta, heat the oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the garlic, the red chile pepper flakes, and capers over medium heat until fragrant (but not browned), about 1 minute. 
2. Add the wine and bring to barely a simmer; cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the tuna and salt to taste and sauté over low heat for 1 minute.
4. Toss the tuna-caper mixture with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of minced garlic, the parsley, lemon zest, butter, cooked pasta, and as much of the reserved pasta cooking water as needed to form a creamy sauce that coats the pasta. Season with freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately.