Busiate al Tonno: A Weeknight Anchor with a Southern Italian Soul

A bold, quick sauce of tuna, anchovies, tomato, and parsley stalks — tossed through busiate pasta and brightened with capers and chili. The pantry, reimagined.

In a hurry? Jump to the Notes for the Cook section

Some recipes settle into your life like habits — easy, familiar, always just right. This is one of them. I make busiate al tonno at least a couple of times a month, often on those evenings when I want something fast but full of flavor — something that doesn’t feel like a shortcut, even if it is.

I begin with what’s always in reach: good tuna in olive oil, a tin of pomodorini, a bunch of parsley with long stalks still attached. But what elevates this is the attention to what might otherwise be overlooked — the spring onion greens, the parsley stems, the anchovies melting into the oil.

In a wide pan, I warm olive oil and add the sliced spring onion — both white and green — then garlic and the finely chopped parsley stalks. Two anchovy fillets go in next, dissolving quietly, and a pinch of chili flakes to wake everything up. The smell is deeply savory, slightly wild. Then the tomatoes — small and sweet from the can — simmer and soften into a sauce.

Just before the tuna goes in, I rinse a spoonful of Pantelleria capers — salted, never brined — and toss them in. Their salt sharpens the whole dish. Then the tuna, folded in gently. It only needs a moment.

The busiate — that twisted, spiral Sicilian pasta — clings to the sauce like it was made for it. And it was. I toss it all together, and in ten more minutes, we’re eating. No cheese. Just pepper, oil, and heat. A bowl of something humble, yes — but not ordinary.

What is Busiate?

Busiate is a traditional pasta from western Sicily, hand-rolled around thin rods into long spirals. Its shape is perfect for catching rustic sauces, especially seafood or tomato-based ones. If unavailable, fusilli or trofie make good substitutes.

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Notes for the Cook

This fast Southern Italian-style pasta features tuna, anchovies, parsley stalks, capers, and chili in a quick tomato sauce. Made with pantry ingredients and ready in under 30 minutes, it’s bold, satisfying, and deeply rooted in southern simplicity.

SERVES: 2-3 | PREP TIME: 10 minutes | TOTAL TIME: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• Busiate (or fusilli): 250g (9 oz)

• Extra virgin olive oil: 3 tbsp

• Spring onion: 1 large, thinly sliced (white and green parts)

• Garlic: 1 clove, finely chopped

• Fresh parsley stalks: from one small bunch, finely chopped

• Anchovy fillets: 2, finely chopped

• Canned pomodorini (cherry tomatoes): 200g (7 oz)

• Good-quality tuna in olive oil: 150g (5 oz), drained

• Salted capers (Pantelleria), rinsed and soaked: 1 tbsp

• Chili flakes: 1 tsp, or to taste

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper: to taste

Quick Steps

1. Cook the busiate in well-salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve a splash of the cooking water before draining.

2. Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a wide pan. Add the spring onion, garlic, and chopped parsley stalks. Sauté gently for 2–3 minutes, then stir in the anchovies and chili flakes. Let the anchovies melt into the oil.

3. Add the pomodorini and cook for 8–10 minutes, until they begin to break down into a loose sauce. Stir in the rinsed and soaked capers.

4. Fold in the tuna gently and let it warm through, no more than 2 minutes.

5. Toss in the drained pasta with a spoonful of the reserved water. Stir well until the sauce clings to every curl of the busiate. Serve hot with a drizzle of olive oil and a grind of black pepper.

Top Tips

• Soak the capers: 10 minutes in cold water removes excess salt and balances the sauce.

• Let the anchovies melt: this infuses the oil, rather than leaving a fishy note.

• Skip the cheese: with tuna, capers, and anchovy, the dish has all the umami it needs.

Looking for the right tomatoes?

Read: Summer in a Bottle (or Can): A Guide to Pelati, Passata, and More — our guide to choosing the best preserved tomatoes for Italian cooking.