Spaghetti with Tuna and Fresh Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• 12 ounce tuna packed in oil, drained canned
• 0.8 cup basil fresh chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 0.5 teaspoon fresh-ground pepper black
• 6 tablespoons olive oil 
• 2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 0.8 pound pasta like spaghetti 
• 1.5 pounds tomatoes cut into approximately 1/2-inch dice ( 3)

Equipment

• bowl
• pot

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, oil, garlic, basil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
2. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the spaghetti until just done, about 12 minutes.
3. Drain and toss the pasta with the tuna and the tomato mixture.
4. Variations: Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato Sauce: Omit the tuna. The marinated tomatoes make a delicious sauce on their own.
5. Spaghetti with Salmon and Fresh Tomato Sauce: Omit the tuna. Coat 1 pound of skinless salmon fillets with 1 tablespoon cooking oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper. Broil the salmon until just barely done, 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet. Flake the salmon and toss with the pasta.
6. Spaghetti with Shrimp and Fresh Tomato Sauce: Omit the tuna.
7. Add 1 pound of raw medium shelled shrimp to the spaghetti during the last 1 minute of cooking time.
8. Wine Recommendation: Look for an acidic and intensely flavored white wine, such as a grassy sauvignon blanc from California, to match the aggressive taste of the tuna.