Neil Perry’s spaghetti with tuna, pistachio and mint

Seafood with pistachio and mint, a Sicilian inspiration, is a favourite combination of mine. Here, I like to leave the tuna rare in the middle so it seems to melt. Sometimes, I also roast cherry tomatoes in a little oil and sea salt and break them through the pasta for a tasty late addition. You can also sprinkle the finished pasta with pangrattato – essentially, crispy breadcrumbs – to really make this dish your own. The recipe works with penne, too.

Serves 4

500g dried spaghetti
400g fresh tuna loin, cut into 1cm dice
80ml extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp Salsa Macha chilli paste
½ cup dry white wine
small handful fresh picked
mint leaves, julienned
juice of 1 fresh lemon
1/3 cup unsalted pistachio
kernels, roasted, crushed

1. Cook pasta in large pot of salted boiling water until al dente (usually, I find that 1 minute less than the manufacturers’ recommended time is best).

2. When pasta is about 5 minutes out from being ready, heat half the oil until hot in a large pan and sear tuna until coloured on all sides; remove from pan and set aside. Allow pan to cool down a little, then add the remaining oil, garlic and chilli paste, cooking gently until soft. Increase heat, add wine and simmer to deglaze pan, then allow to reduce.

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3. Drain the pasta (saving some of the water in a cup) and add to the pan along with half the pistachio, tuna and mint, then toss to combine. Add a little extra pasta cooking water, if necessary, to moisten.

4. Taste and adjust seasoning, add lemon juice then plate and finish with remaining pistachio. Serve immediately.

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