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Pasta with fresh tuna and black olives.

This tuna pasta recipe uses fresh tuna rather than the usual canned variety in tomato sauce. (Nothing wrong with canned tuna - one of my all-time favourite comfort dishes is pasta with canned tuna, grated cheese and peas.)

Marinate a piece of fresh tuna in lemon juice, chopped garlic, salt and pepper for a few hours. Bring back to room temperature before cooking.

Cook pasta: this is best with short, chunky pasta such as fusilli or rigatoni. 

Cut the tuna into fat cubes and sear in a little olive oil and white wine until just done. This should be timed to synchronise with the pasta cooking time.

Trim some green beans and asparagus spears, chop into thirds and steam until both vegetables are bright green and just starting to soften. 

Chop some vine-ripened tomatoes, or use semi-dried ones and gently warm them through in a little olive oil together with some halved pitted black olives and a scattering of capers. 

When pasta is done, drain. Add cream and white wine to the still-warm pan; reduce, add salt and pepper, return pasta to pan and turn slowly so the ridges pick up the cream sauce. Gently fold through the beans, asparagus, and tomato. 

Top with the just-seared tuna and add some pitted olives. Scatter parsley to serve.

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