A midnight snack after a few beers. Tuna/Fish Spaghetti.

[jandajoy]

So we'd had a few beers in town and got home a bit late. Joy was feeling a bit crook so I thought I'd throw something together for her me and the dog, Jet.

Tuna/fish spaghetti. seemed do-able so off we go.

A pan of water with a teaspoonful of salt and a splash of oil in it put on to boil.



A splash of garlic oil in a pan, a few crushed chillies and a couple of diced onions. Simmer.



When the onions are well soft, increase heat a bit and add a splash of beer.



Stir whist cooking off beer.



Onions should be creamy



Add can of tomatoes, break up tomatoes



Pinch of salt



Pinch of sugar



Stir it all up



cover and simmer on reduced heat.

Ahh. forgot to add the juice of whole lime.





We didn't have any basil unfortunately and it wasn't a good idea to go looking, given our respective conditions. Anyway the dog didn't know where it was. Normally I'd have thrown in a load.

Now too the Spaghetti.

[Jet Gorgon]

Bladdy h*ll, you cooking up Jet?

[jandajoy]

So, The water is now on a rolling boil. We chuck in the pasta.



Stir it about so it doesn't stick together, though the oil should prevent that.



And cook it till it's nearly done. Al dente. Or soft as if that's the way you like it.


Meanwhile, back to the sauce. I added one can of this.




And stirred it in.



Tasted to check for salt and stuff.


Reduced it down a bit, not much then finally added the tuna.



Then let it sit, covered.



Back to the pasta.




Drained.





Some cold water to stop the cooking process



Back in the pan and a good slosh of olive oil and a bit of a stir.



Add the sauce





Stir it all up





Cover and let sit for 10 minutes. It won't get cold and the pasta "al dente" will soak up the sauce.



Serve. Sorry about the messy plate





Add cheese to taste. This fake parmesan is ok but I actually prefer grated chedder. It melts in to the pasta and gets nice and creamy.



Bon appetito.

All up about 30 minutes. It fed 3 of us and the dog left overs. Against my wishes 'cos the pasta is even better the next day. Still, that's all right.

[Jet Gorgon]

Thank the gods, Jet is not in the pot.

[blackgang]

Well the title made me kind of queasy, then I read the thread and before I finished,, I blew Chunks on my keyboard,, and I thought that Thai food was bad shit,, Tuna fish speg got to top the list..

[jandajoy]

Tasted fckin good a 02.00 in the morning mate. Don't knock it till you've tried it.

[Bung]

Apparently you don't put oil in with the water. Only just found that out,I used to do it all the time.

Luckily you were pissed when you made it, don't think you would have liked it sober....

[melvbot]

No need for oil in the water, just stir the pasta and it wont stick. Oil and water dont mix.

[EmperorTud]

Apparently you don't put oil in with the water. Only just found that out,I used to do it all the time.

Italians add a little oil to the water. And salt.
It stops the pasta from sticking together. Oil is essential if you are cooking a big load because even with constant stirring, it may still stick together. You only need a drop, it will rise to the top of the water and form a film.
If you are a perfectionist, then also important is to cook the pasta until al dente then remove it from the heat and either drain if you are eating it straight away or if you are keeping it; run cold water over it until it has cooled totally. This way it will continue to cook a little under its own heat and you'll get perfect results.
To keep pasta for eating at a later date add oil to it once cooked and cooled, mix thoroughly with the oil and keep refrigerated. It will keep longer this way and you can cook off a whole packet and keep what you don't eat until later.

[melvbot]

In all the times Ive cooked or eaten pasta with Italians Ive never once seen them put oil in the water, my Italian mate told me it makes the pasta oily and the sauce doesnt get absorbed into the pasta making it slip off.

I never put oil in the water and Ive never had a batch of pasta stick together. Personal preferences I guess.

[daveboy]

Bon appetito.

I think I'll pass thanks.

[jandajoy]

In all the times Ive cooked or eaten pasta with Italians Ive never once seen them put oil in the water, my Italian mate told me it makes the pasta oily and the sauce doesnt get absorbed into the pasta making it slip off. I never put oil in the water and Ive never had a batch of pasta stick together. Personal preferences I guess.

Personal taste as you say. In the 7 years I lived in Italy every Mama, Nona and girlfriend would add a drop of the old extra vergine to the water. But, as they say, "Ogni uno a il modo suo".

[spiff]

You only need a drop, it will rise to the top of the water and form a film.

And how will this prevent the pasta from sticking together?

[EmperorTud]

In all the times Ive cooked or eaten pasta with Italians Ive never once seen them put oil in the water, my Italian mate told me it makes the pasta oily and the sauce doesnt get absorbed into the pasta making it slip off.

I've worked in a few Italian restaurants so I am speaking from experience.

Most sauces contain olive oil anyway so it won't matter.

Makes no difference to cream sauces either but that will be more dependent on how good a cook you are.

Have heard and witnessed some people cooking without oil and saying it is the 'authentic way' and all that bollocks too but Italians also claim they were on the winning side in WWII so whatcha gonna believe?

[EmperorTud]

And how will this prevent the pasta from sticking together?

When the pasta is stirred and lifted from the water the oil separates the pasta. It is most obvious when cooking pasta like lasagna that is prone to sticking together and fragile when stirred.

[jandajoy]

I always believed the 86 year old we called Nona Pia. She'd been doing it a long time and made the best pasta I've ever eaten. Every type, all hand made. Amazing amount of work went into it. Absolutely delicious.

She lived in the little village of Sassatella in the hills above Modena. Population 62. Terrific place to visit if you're ever in that area.

[spiff]

This defies the laws of physics. But I shall try it next time I'll cook spaghetti.

[Timber]

I've seen it done with and without. A chef/instructor I trained with insisted you don't put oil in the water b/c it forms a film on the noodle and inhibits it from taking on any of the salt from the water. He did however toss with oil after cooking. To each his own I suppose, I've done it both ways but usually use the no oil cooking method now.

Btw JJ, I've had midnight munchies spaghetti tuna, don't think it'll make it to the menu anytime soon but can't say I didn't enjoy it

[jandajoy]

Good comfort food.

[Timber]

Love the comfort food. I made meat loaf and homemade mac'n cheese the other day

[EmperorTud]

How much oil are you guys talking about adding?

Should be no more than a drop then it won't have any effect other than to separate the pasta!

[Bung]

Watch out! Tuds got his anorak on!

[spiff]

One drop should be enough to form a coat on the entire surface area of the pasta to prevent them from sticking together.

[panama hat]

Cover and let sit for 10 minutes. It won't get cold and the pasta "al dente" will soak up the sauce.

Why are you pointing at the pasta? What was the pasta guilty of?
The pasta is innocent.


Nah, looks ok and what's more important is the taste . . .

Yes, I lived in Italy as well and my best mate's father had an excellent Italian Restaurant in Kings Cross, Sydney, Natalino's . . . . always a dash of olive oil in the water

[blackgang]

I cook a lot of Pasta, and once every hundres times I might add a little olive oil, and as long as the water is boiling well it never sticks and if it is not boiling it will stick anyway.