tonno ammuttunato

Sicilian spiked tuna

2.2 lbs (1 kg) fresh tuna

1/2 cup white wine

garlic

mint

about 1/4 cup (250 g) estratto / tomato paste

1 - 1 /2 cups (300+ ml) tomato passata / sauce with tomato only and no flavors

1 spoonful of sugar

3 bay leaves

extra virgin olive oil

salt & pepper

Let the tuna soak in a saltwater brine for 1 hour. Dry the tuna and make incisions about 1 inch deep. Wrap leaves of mint around slices of garlic and insert (ammuttunare) them into the holes in the tuna. Season with salt and pepper.

In a casserole warm 2 crushed cloves of garlic in several tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Remove the garlic after it releases its aroma and before it begins to burn. Add the tuna to the hot oil and let it color on all sides, spend some time on this until the edges on all sides are caramel color.

Add some white wine and when the alcohol burns off add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, sugar and bay leaves, mix well to combine while it comes to a boil.

Turn down the heat to low, cover and let cook for 30-40 minutes. Move the tuna around a bit from time to time to keep it from sticking and at the halfway point flip the tuna and add a sprig of mint to the sauce.

As a first course serve pasta tossed with the tomato sauce including the flecks of tuna that fell off during cooking (if none fell off break up a bit of tuna in the tomato sauce). As a second course serve slices of tuna with some of the sauce.