Canned Mackerel Pasta
sandravalvassori.com
Fresh and effortless, this simple Canned Mackerel Pasta dish is full of delicious flavors but takes less than 30 minutes to put together. Easy for a casual weeknight meal, or an elegant dinner for two.
Servings: 3 - 4
Ingredients
- 12 ounce spaghetti, linguini or other long pasta
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced (or minced)
- 1/4 teaspoon dried chilli flakes (or to taste)
- 1 14-ounce can cherry tomatoes, drained (see notes)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 (4-ounce) cans mackerel fillets in oil
- 1 lemon finely zested
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (optional)
- lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling add the pasta and cook according to package instructions for al dente.
- While the pasta cooks, place a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and immediately add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often, until garlic is fragrant and starting to sizzle but not brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring often, until tomatoes have started to break down, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Season with just a small pinch of salt and a generous pinch of black pepper. The mackerel could be salty so be careful not to add too much extra salt.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and add the mackerel, along with 1/4 cup of the oil from the cans (reserve the rest of the oil for later use). Stir, gently breaking up the filets into smaller chunks.
- As soon as pasta is al dente, use tongs to transfer it to the skillet, along with 1/2 cup pasta water. Add the lemon zest, parmesan cheese and toss until the pasta looks saucy and well coated. If it looks dry, you can add a little more pasta water, and/or more of the reserved fish oil from the can.
- Taste and season with a pinch more salt, if needed. Top with more pepper, chopped parsley and toasted pine nuts, if using. Serve immediately with lemon wedges for drizzling and enjoy!
Notes
- Cherry tomatoes: I use canned cherry tomatoes for convenience but sometimes they are hard to find. You can use 2 cups of fresh cherry tomatoes, or two plum tomatoes finely chopped. If using canned tomatoes, make sure to drain them because this dish should not have a heavy tomato sauce.
- To store: Leftovers will keep in the fridge, stored in an airtight container, up to 3 days.
- To reheat: For best results, reheat leftovers in a saucepan over low heat just until warmed through.