This tasty tuna recipe features an interesting blend of fennel and orange with tuna and garbanzo beans served on pasta. It is unusual in its mix of shapes: squiggly spaghetti, spherical garbanzo beans, and tiny boat-shaped fennel seeds.
Fennel Seeds
Fennel seeds have long been in use as a seasoning alone and in blends in the cuisine of the Mediterranean, Italy, China, and Scandinavia. It has been in even longer use as a medicinal, stimulating digestion and relieving symptoms of bloating and stomach pains. Toasted fennel seeds often are found in small dishes near the door of many Indian restaurants, as fennel is an excellent natural mouth freshener. The seeds are rich in magnesium, and have a mild licorice flavor.
Garbanzo Beans (aka Chickpeas)
Garbanzo beans, also known as chickpeas, are slightly irregular, round legumes a bit smaller than marbles. They have a slightly nutty or buttery taste and are used in making hummus. They are a staple in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking and are rich in protein, dietary fiber and the trace mineral molybdenum. If using canned beans, drain and rinse them well. If you prefer to cook dried garbanzos, soak them overnight, then cook them 20-25 minutes in a pressure cooker or boil for about 2 1/2 hours. Do not add salt, as there is plenty in this recipe.
Tomatoes
The tomatoes in this dish can be fresh, frozen or canned. If using frozen tomatoes, defrost slightly in the microwave, then break them up and add them directly to the sauce. If using fresh, merely wash and chop: they need not be peeled.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 3/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
- Grated zest from half an orange
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes (fresh, frozen or canned with liquid)
- 1 6-ounce can tuna, drained
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained, rinsed and drained again, or 1 ¾ cup cooked chickpeas
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 3/4 pound pasta: spaghetti, angel hair, fedelini, linguine
Directions
- Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.
- Add onion slices and cook until onion is translucent.
- Start heating water for pasta in a large pot.
- Stir fennel, orange zest and salt and pepper into onion.
- Add tomatoes, cover and simmer until heated through, about 10 minutes (longer if tomatoes are frozen.
- Stir in tuna and chickpeas and reduce heat to low.
- Cook pasta according to directions on package.
- When pasta is done, drain and rinse it and toss it with sauce in skillet. May need to add a bit more water if it is too dry.
- Stir in parsley.
This recipe serves 4 as a main dish and goes well with a green salad and sections of the zested orange.
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