Tuna Puttanesca

Easy, fast, cheap. Vaguely charming. Far be it from me, of course, to make a joke about puttanesca sauce being aptly named. (I'm too classy for that.) But once you realize how easy this is, you'll feel bad about having paid $18 for it at some fancy place in the North End.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 can (3 oz.) tomato paste
• 2 oz. anchovy paste (or 1 tin flat anchovy fillets)
• 2 oz. capers
• 6 oz. kalamata olives (without pits if possible)
  
• 3 cans chunk white tuna
• 1 large can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp. crushed garlic
• Red pepper flakes
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 lb. linguini, cooked al dente
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Add the anchovy paste or anchovy fillets. If fillets are used, crush them with the back of a wooden spoon as they sauté.
3. Add in the garlic. Let the garlic and anchovies sauté for just a minute (they cook fast).
4. Add in the tomato paste, blending with a spatula. Allow to cook for a minute.
5. Mix in tunafish and red pepper; let cook another minute or two.
6. Add everything else; reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for about 10 minutes.

Serve over pasta with grated parmesan.

PAIRINGS: Use a spicy wine with high tannins. A sufficiently ripe Cabernet Sauvignon is ideal. (Caution: unripe Cabernet Sauvignon tastes like the runoff from a Tabasco Sauce factory.)