Weeknight Wonder Rigatoni with Tuna, Fennel, Lemon & Olives

Find more delicious pasta recipes in Odette's new cookbook, Simple Pasta: Pasta Made Easy. Life Made Better. 

INGREDIENTS:

Store-bought pasta: 14 ounces dried rigatoni, penne, farfalle, garganelli

1 lemon

1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 cup

1 small fennel bulb, shaved or thinly sliced

3 shallots, finely diced

5 garlic cloves, slivered

1 teaspoon fennel seeds, coarsely chopped

1⁄4 to 1⁄2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tins of Fishwife Albacore Tuna

1⁄3 cup pitted green olives, halved

4 cups loosely packed baby arugula

Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano for serving

RECIPE

1. Peel the lemon, avoiding the white pith, and slice the peel into thin slivers. Juice the lemon and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, salt, and 1 tablespoon olive oil and stir to incorporate. Add the shaved fennel and set aside to marinate.
3. In a large heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium-low heat, warm 1⁄4 cup of the olive oil, then add the shallots and sauté for about 4 minutes. Turn the heat to very low; stir in the remaining 3⁄4 cup olive oil, lemon peel slivers, garlic, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes; season with black pepper; and gently infuse for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tuna and olives and warm through, breaking apart the tuna with a fork.
4. While the olive oil is infusing, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, according to pack­age instructions. Using a large spider or slotted spoon, transfer the pasta to the tuna mixture.
5. Add the arugula and about 1⁄2 cup of the pasta water to the mixture and stir gently to combine.
6. Serve the pasta with the marinated fennel and Parmigiano.

 TIP

Substitute a couple tablespoons of the tuna oil for the extra-virgin olive oil if you want to double down on the tuna flavor.