Pantry Puttanesca

Prepare to cook the pasta by bringing a pot of water to a boil.

Meanwhile, chop onion into about 1/4-inch pieces and coarsely chop garlic. Halve lengthwise about half of the olives and keep the others whole.

Heat a large skillet on low and add olive oil and onions. Sauté until onions become translucent.

Generously salt water and add the pasta. Cook until slightly short of al dente, about 2 minutes less than the time specified on the box.

While pasta is cooking, add garlic to the skillet and stir continuously on low heat. Once fragrant, add red pepper flakes, fish sauce, olives, and capers. Gently pour in the tomatoes and their liquid. Stir often and use a wooden spoon to gently break up the tomatoes into smaller chunks (if using whole ones). Continue to simmer on low until the pasta is ready.

Directly transfer the pasta into the skillet, along with 1/4 cup of the pasta water, and toss to combine all the ingredients. Turn up the heat to medium and continue to simmer until the excess liquid has evaporated and the pasta is cooked through. Add tuna and its liquid; break apart gently into big chunks and toss everything to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Since the olives and capers were so salty, I did not feel the need to add any additional salt.) The dish should feel loose but not runny—add an additional 1/4 cup of pasta water if it seems too dry.

Serve pasta with a garnish of basil and grated Parmesan or Pecorino.