Ingredients
Dairy-free option (simply leave out the Parmigiano Reggiano) 
5 minutes preparation time + 10 minutes cooking time 
4 - 400g spaghetti
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Large pinch chili flakes, to your taste (I like to use Aleppo pepper flakes for their mild, smoky flavour)
- 4 large cloves fresh garlic, finely sliced
- 500g (2 punnets) cherry tomatoes
- 1 x 425g tin tuna in olive oil, drained (I use the brand ‘Sirena’)
- 3 large handfuls of fresh basil leaves
- 1 lemon
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Sea salt
- Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, to serve
Method
Preparation:
- Have all ingredients prepped and ready to go.
- Start boiling a large pot of salted water for the spaghetti.
Cooking the spaghetti:
- Cook spaghetti according to packet instructions, aiming for 1 minute less than recommended.
Preparing the sauce:
- Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add chili flakes and sliced garlic, stirring for about a minute.
- Add cherry tomatoes and sauté for 2-3 minutes, gently squashing some to release juices.
- Add drained tuna, stirring to combine.
- Incorporate fresh basil leaves, a generous pinch of salt, the zest of a lemon, and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Stir to combine and add the juice of half a lemon.
Combining spaghetti and sauce:
- Once spaghetti is slightly undercooked, transfer it directly into the pan with tomatoes and tuna using large tongs.
- Ensure some starchy pasta water is transferred to help emulsify the sauce.
- Toss the spaghetti into the sauce, adding more pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.
Final touch:
- Test for doneness; turn off the heat when pasta is cooked to your liking.
- Taste for salt and pepper and adjust as needed.
- Add some freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano and toss to combine.
Serving:
- Serve topped with a little more freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano and freshly cracked black pepper.
NOTES
- For a delicious vegetarian option, substitute the tuna with a 1 x 400g can of drained butter beans. Add them in place of the tuna as directed in the recipe.
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