Pasta with tuna, anchovies, pine nuts and currants

Ingredients

• 1 whole garlic clove
• peeled and crushed in one piece
• 1 small onion
• finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• plus additional if needed
• 6 anchovy fillets (or 3 whole anchovies preserved in salt
• well rinsed
• bone removed)
• mashed
• 1 cup fresh tomatoes
• peeled
• seeded and chopped (or 1 cup canned tomatoes
• pressed through a food mill or sieve to remove seeds)
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons currants
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 4 quarts water
• 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
• 1 pound thin pappardelle or tagliatelle
• 12 ounces canned albacore tuna packed in olive oil
• rinsed and drained
• 3 tablespoons finely minced flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup toasted bread crumbs

Instructions

1. In a heavy skillet saute the garlic and onion in the olive oil over medium heat until they are pale golden, about 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Remove the garlic.
3. Add the mashed anchovies and, stirring with a wooden spoon, let them melt over the heat, dissolving in the oil.
4. Stir in the tomatoes, pine nuts, currants, salt and pepper and cook over medium heat for 7 to 10 minutes.
5. Set this mixture aside.
6. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot, add the sea salt and cook the pappardelle until it is al dente.
7. Reserve some cooking water in case you need it to thin the sauce.
8. Flake the tuna with a fork, add it to the anchovy-tomato sauce and mix it in well.
9. Toss the pasta with most of the sauce, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil if needed and pour the remainder of the sauce over the top.
10. Serve immediately sprinkled with the parsley and toasted bread crumbs.