tuna with olives and fried capers

such an ugly looking dish...but pretty tasty!

first, know that i typically don't like canned tuna. there has never been a moment in my life in which i craved canned tuna in any way, shape or form. tuna melts, tuna casseroles and tuna nicoise salads simply remind me of cat food and i instantly reject the notion that it could even potentially be food for humans. so why in the world would i ever make a dish where the star of the show was hideously smelly canned fish? wellllll i recently saw a recipe in a magazine for "brown rice pasta with tuna, olives, fried capers." i initially thought that the recipe might call for chunks of tuna that you cook. aaaand...kalamata olives, love. fried capers, love. also, the recipe is Gwyneth Paltrow's and i wanted to see if her recipes were any good. when i found out it was canned tuna, i was a little discouraged but decided to give it a shot anyhow. turns out, it's pretty damn good! the anchovies, capers, olives and lemon really do a great job of masking the fishiness that usually accompanies canned tuna. it satisfies the need for salty savoriness with the right sour note from the capers and lemon while bringing just enough heat.

*the original recipe is meant to be served with brown rice pasta but in my attempt to avoid excess carbs in my diet, i served with alongside some sauteed kale.

not a whole lot of ingredients = my kind of cooking

fried capers! if you like capers, these are like crack! if it weren't weird, i would eat them all day long as a never ending snack! "granola bars? ppssshhh...fried capers please!"--see how weird that is? it would never be accepted as social norm.

brown rice pasta with tuna, olives, fried capers

ingredients:

-8 oz brown rice pasta

-1/3 c olive oil

-1/2 c capers, rinsed and dried

-12 canned anchovy fillets

-8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

-1 tsp red pepper flakes

-16 oz. canned tuna, drained

-1/4 c Kalamata olives, halved

-juice from 1 lemon

directions:

1. cook pasta as directed on package. drain, and set aside.

2. in a skillet, over high heat, heat oil

3. stir in capers and cook until crispy (this happens very quickly!)

4. with a slotted spoon, remove capers and set aside

5. allow the same oil you cooked the capers in to cool some, then add anchovies, garlic and pepper flakes

6. cook, stirring, until anchovies dissolve and garlic browns

7. stir in tuna and olives, making sure to break up tuna 

8. add lemon juice and cook until tuna has warmed through

9. in bowls or plates, pile first pasta, then tuna mixture and sprinkle with capers