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authentic italian

Penne Rigate With Tomato Tuna Sauce

January 20, 2017 by Marisa 32 Comments

Penne Rigate with Tomato Tuna Sauce

Penne Rigate With Tomato Tuna Sauce is a typical Italian pasta dish that I grew up with.

It’s made with just a few good quality staple ingredients and packed full of wonderful flavours. This recipe is one you will turn to again and again.

Penne Rigate with Tomato Tuna Sauce

As is common in most cultures and at a time when food was scarce, families made do with the very few ingredients they had on hand.

With so little they created simple comfort foods we now crave and love. In Italian this philosophy is known as La Cucina Povera, or otherwise “the poor kitchen” and truly born out of necessity.

This concept is far easier to embrace during summertime when gardens are lush with fruits and vegetables. However in wintertime we need not look any further then our own kitchen pantries.

Canned tuna is one of those staple items I always keep in my pantry. It’s ready at a moments notice for quick sandwiches as my son can attest…he just adored tuna sandwiches for his school lunches!

They are also wonderfully delicious tossed with green leafy salads and legumes for an extra protein kick.

Penne Rigate with Tomato Tuna Sauce

However, canned tuna also makes a rather enticing sauce simply begging to be tossed over freshly cooked pasta. You will so appreciate its simplicity!

A good quality oil packed canned tuna is much more flavourful then the water packed variety and will elevate this simple sauce.

Also, don’t be too concerned about the oil which you will be draining out anyhow but if this is still an issue for you then by all means go for the water packed.

Penne Rigate with Tomato Tuna Sauce

You can  just about choose any pasta you like.

My preference and absolute favourite are pennette rigate or the larger penne rigate. I love this pasta shape for its crevices and hallow centre making them the perfect vehicle to hold a chunky tomato and tuna sauce.

Penne Rigate with Tomato Tuna Sauce

Impress your family or friends and make Penne Rigate with Tomato Tuna Sauce tonight!

Or try another delicious pasta dish using canned sardines, Sardine Spaghetti with Chives.

If you make this recipe remember to tag @marisasitaliankitchen on Instagram so I can see your creation!

Buon Appetito!

Penne Rigate with Tomato Tuna Sauce
Print Recipe
0 from 0 votes

Penne Rigate with Tomato Tuna Sauce

A delicious and easy tomato sauce with canned tuna and kalamata olives served with penne rigate.
Course: Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Author: Marisa

Ingredients

  • Tomato Sauce
  • 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • pinch of crushed chili pepper
  • 24 ounce jar Passata Italian strained tomatoes I used San Marzano
  • 2 sprigs of basil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 x 85 grams canned oil packed tuna drained
  • 1/4 cup Kalamata olives pitted and chopped
  • chopped parsley for garnish
  • 450 grams Penne Rigate or other pasta of your choice

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a medium sized sauce pot over medium low heat and saute the garlic, chopped onions and the crushed chili pepper just until the onions are soft, while stirring often for about 5 minutes.
  • Add in the passata (Italian strained tomatoes), basil, salt and pepper and stir well.
  • Fill the bottle of passata three quarters full with water. Give it a good swirl and add this to the sauce.
  • Bring the sauce to a boil then lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes or until the sauce thickens and the sweet concentrated flavors of the tomatoes come through.
  • While the sauce is slowly simmering, bring a large pot of water to boil.
  • Salt the water and cook the pasta according to directions on package.
  • At this point,while the pasta cooks add the drained tuna and chopped kalamata olives to the tomato sauce and allow to simmer till the pasta is cooked.
  • When ready, drain the pasta and toss with some of the tomato sauce.
  • Plate the pasta and top with more sauce and a sprinkle of chopped parsley.
  • Serve while still warm.

Filed Under: Pasta Tagged With: authentic italian, pasta, supper, tomato sauce, tuna

Easy Marinara Sauce

August 9, 2015 by Marisa 15 Comments

Marinara sauce pored in a mason jar.

A simple and Easy Marinara Sauce made with good quality San Marzano canned tomatoes.

Easy Marinara Sauce stored in a mason jar.

Marinara Sauce From Scratch

Canned tomatoes make a delicious Easy Marinara Sauce.

The key to making this super easy tomato sauce is good quality San Marzano tomatoes as well as the best and freshest onions, celery, carrots and garlic. You will be rewarded with the most sensational aromas and intense flavours of a great simple sauce.

Basil is one of my absolute favourite herb and I love to use both the dry and fresh basil in my tomato sauce. The dried variety is great for a long simmering pasta sauce as it has time to infuse the dish with its sweet scent.

When I have an abundance of fresh basil, I will add a couple of springs during the simmering time. Then I’ll simply fish it out and finish the sauce with an additional layer of shredded basil just before serving.

Chopped carrots, celery and onions.

Taking the time to sauté the onions until they are translucent ensures a sauce full of flavour.

A sauté of carrots, celery and onions.

Pot od simmering marinara sauce.

 

Penne pasta on a white plate.

What is Marinara Sauce Used For?

This recipe is so versatile, one I turn to when making my Chicken Parmesan with Kale or serving it alongside my Arancini. It is also my go to recipe for simmering melt in your mouth meatballs.

It can also be served with any pasta of your choice.

After draining the cooked pasta, I prefer to coat it with a ladle or two of tomato sauce. Then stir well, plate and add additional sauce with a generous sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

It’s also wonderful over gnocchi or you can use it in your favourite baked pasta dishes.

Alternately, you can add some hot chilli flakes while it’s simmering and use as a spicy dipping sauce.

Marinara sauce in a mason jar.

Marinara sauce pored in a mason jar.

This recipe makes enough to fill 2 mason jars. It can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or can be frozen for later use.

Buon Appetito!

Easy Marinara Sauce stored in a mason jar.
Print Recipe
0 from 0 votes

Easy Marinara Sauce

A simple and Easy Marinara Sauce made with good quality San Marzano canned tomatoes, and a medley of chopped onions, carrots and celery.
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Easy Marinara Sauce, Pasta Sauce
Servings: 10
Calories: 98kcal
Author: Marisa

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup diced carrots
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • 2 medium onions peeled and diced
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 28 ounces canned San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes crushed
  • 1 tablespoon dry basil
  • 2 springs of fresh basil intact on the branch plus an additional
  • 1/2 cup shredded basil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Pour the olive oil in a sauce pot and stir in the chopped carrots, celery, onions and minced garlic. Add a pinch or two of salt and pepper.
  • Cook for about 8 minutes or just until the vegetables soften and the onions are translucent. (Taking the time to sauté the onions until they are translucent ensures a sauce full of flavor.)
  • Pour in the crushed tomatoes. Fill the tomato cans with 3/4 full of water, give it a good swirl to release any tomato bits resting at the bottom of the can and add this to the pot.
  • Stir in the dry basil and the 2 basil sprigs, salt and pepper. Turn up the heat, cover and bring your sauce up to a boil, stirring and checking frequently. Once you have an active boil, reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer covered for 1 hour stirring occasionally.
  • At this point the sauce should have thickened and reduced by a quarter. If not, simply remove the lid, turn up the heat a little and let it cook for a half hour longer. When it becomes concentrated enough, you will know it is ready. Just before serving fish out the two sprigs of basil and add in the additional 1/2 cup shredded basil. Taste the sauce and add more salt if needed.

Nutrition

Calories: 98kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 537mg | Potassium: 352mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1763IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 2mg

 

Filed Under: Sauces, Soups Pasta Sauces Tagged With: authentic italian, Marinara sauce, pasta, San Marzano tomatoes, supper

Lasagna

March 9, 2015 by Marisa 11 Comments

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My mother was a kind and gentle soul. On Sunday afternoons she would happily look forward to the arrival of her daughters and grand-kids, greeting everyone at the door and after the initial “buon giorno” she would turn to her grand-kids and proclaim “mi sembra dimagrito”, you look like you’ve lost some weight. Come, come nonna will feed you!  And so the Sunday feast would begin!!!

My Italian meals are often based on my own mother’s recipes. She truly made the absolute best Lasagna but maybe I’m just biased that way! It certainly was not a recipe that can be thrown together after a busy day at work. It was one reserved for special occasions like Christmas, Easter or even a birthday celebration. It was one she would take great care and time to create, making most of the prep work the day before and she would assemble and bake it the same day it was served. I will share her recipe with a special secret ingredient in a later post to truly do it justice!

This lasagna recipe I’ve adapted better suits a busy mom. It is one I have made over and over again for my own family. While you can use any canned tomatoes of your choice I highly recommend San Marzano. They are much sweeter and have low acidity and seed count and are by far the most famous tomatoes to come out of Italy.

This recipe serves 12 people. You will need a pan about 15 by 10 1/2 by 2 1/2, approximately.

My daughter and her friends are eagerly waiting for the recipe so here it is girls!  Buon Appetito!!!

Ingredients:

  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 lb minced Veal
  • 1 lb mild Italian Sausage, casings removed
  • 2  28 ounces canned San Marzano tomatoes, crushed
  • 1  5.5 ounces tomato paste (small can)
  • 1 tbls  dried basil
  • 1/2 cup snipped fresh basil
  • 1 tsp  kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/4 tsp  black pepper
  • 4 cups  water, approximately
  • 375g   lasagna noodles, oven ready (no boil)
  • 4 cups  grated mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

In a large skillet or saucepan, add the olive oil, chopped onion, minced garlic, veal and Italian sausage. Cook on medium-high heat until the meat is browned and the onions are translucent using a wooden spoon to break down the meat as it cooks. Drain off the fat.

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Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and both dried and fresh basil. Rinse out the tomato cans with the water and pour this into the saucepan. Turn up the heat, cover and bring the sauce up to a boil, stirring and checking it frequently. Once it starts to boil, lower the heat to low and let it simmer gently for about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally. Taste for salt at the end of cooking and add more if needed.

Preheat oven to 375*

Assembling the Lasagna

Coat the bottom of your lasagna pan with some meat sauce. Layer the lasagna noodles side by side in a single layer.You may need to snap off the ends on a couple of noodles to fit the pan. Spread meat sauce over the noodles to cover. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese and one-third of the mozzarella. Repeat, layering the noodles, meat sauce and cheeses two more times. If you are running low on meat sauce for the last layer, just add some water to your sauce.

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Cover loosely with aluminum and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 to 30 minutes.

lasagna

Let stand 1/2 hour before serving.

Serve and enjoy!!!

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Filed Under: Pasta, Soups Pasta Sauces Tagged With: authentic italian, baked, lasagna, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, tomato sauce

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