Tuna Fish Sauce with Bow Ties

This is Southern Italian pantry cooking at its finest. Canned tuna sautéed with anchovies, garlic, fresh plum tomatoes, and chopped mint, simmered into a rich sauce and tossed over bow tie pasta. Almost everything comes from the cupboard, but the result tastes anything but ordinary.

The anchovies are the secret weapon. Crush them with a wooden spoon directly in the hot olive oil and they dissolve completely, leaving behind a deep, savory umami base that no one will identify as “fishy." They melt into the sauce and amplify the tuna’s flavor without announcing themselves. Add the canned tuna with its oil (yes, the oil) and break it into flakes with the spoon. The tuna oil adds richness and helps the sauce coat the pasta.

Eight fresh Roma tomatoes get chopped and added with the mint, then everything simmers covered for 15 minutes. The covered simmer lets the tomatoes break down and release their juices. The final 5 minutes uncovered reduces and concentrates the sauce so it clings to the bow ties instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.

The mint is an unusual but intentional choice. It adds a cool, bright note that lifts the heavy, oily tuna-anchovy base and keeps each bite feeling fresh.

Chef Tips

• Use oil-packed tuna, not water-packed; the oil is part of the sauce
• Crush the anchovies thoroughly until they completely dissolve into the oil
• Cook the garlic only to pale gold; dark brown garlic turns bitter
• Cook the farfalle to firm al dente; it softens slightly when tossed with hot sauce

Variations

• Caper version: Add 2 tablespoons of drained capers with the tomatoes
• Spicy: Include a pinch of red pepper flakes when sautéing the garlic
• Basil swap: Use fresh basil instead of mint for a more traditional Italian flavor