Tuna puttanesca ragù

Method

1. Drain the olives and capers, rinse well, then put in a large bowl of water and set aside (this helps remove excess salt).
2. Put a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Add the anchovies – oil and all – along with the chilli flakes. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes until the anchovies dissolve into the oil, then add the sliced garlic and fry for a minute or two until fragrant.
3. Add the red wine, turn up the heat and simmer vigorously for 4 minutes, then tip in the tomatoes, breaking them up as you do so. Half-fill the tin with water, swirl it around, then pour it in. Give everything a stir and bring to a gentle simmer.
4. Drain the olives and capers, then put them in a food processor and pulse a few times to create a mince-like texture. Stir them into the sauce, then leave to simmer very gently for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want it to be dark, jammy and thick, as the pasta water will loosen it later.
5. Once the sauce is nearly ready, bring a large pan of water to the boil (there’s no need for salt as the sauce is salty enough already). Add the tortiglioni and cook for 8 minutes (or a couple of minutes less than stated on the packet), stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, drain the tuna and stir it into the sauce, breaking it into flakes as you do so. Season with plenty of black pepper.
6. Drain the pasta, reserving a cup of pasta water, then tip the pasta into the sauce along with most of the parsley and mix well, adding just enough pasta water to loosen the sauce. Mix vigorously to emulsify the sauce so it coats the pasta, then take off the heat and leave to rest for 3 minutes before dividing among bowls. Top with the remaining parsley.