Best Pasta Tonnato Nests Recipes

SPAGHETTI NESTS

Steps:

• Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of four 4-inch-diameter springform pans.
• For the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and place in a large bowl. Add the spinach, cheese, oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss well until the spinach is wilted. Set aside to cool.
• For assembly: Beat the Parmesan, milk, salt and egg together in a large bowl until smooth. Pour the sauce over the spaghetti mixture until well combined. Twirl 1/2 cupfuls of the spaghetti mixture around tongs or a large fork and transfer to the prepared pans. Make an indentation in the middle of each nest of pasta and drizzle with olive oil. Bake 15 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before removing the sides from the pans. Remove the bottoms of the pans from the nests using a thin metal spatula.
• Spoon 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce on each of 4 serving plates. Place the spaghetti nests on the sauce. Place 3 balls of the mozzarella in each nest and serve.

PASTA AL TONNO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the spaghetti in a colander.
• While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the capers and garlic and cook, stirring, until the garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Add the bruschetta topping, red pepper flakes and a pinch of black pepper and cook, stirring, until hot, about 4 minutes.
• Add the drained spaghetti to the skillet along with the tuna, parsley and about 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water. Add more cooking water to loosen if desired and serve.

PASTA TONNATO NESTS

Steps:

• Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, about 2 minutes for fresh and 10 minutes for dried. Drain pasta. Return to same pot and toss with oil.
• Combine sauce and wine in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Mix in tuna and olives, being careful to keep tuna in fairly large pieces. Season with salt and pepper.
• Divide pasta between 2 plates. Using large spoon, make indentation in centers of pasta to create "nests." Spoon sauce into centers. Sprinkle each with basil.

TONNATO SAUCE

Steps:

• In a blender purée all ingredients, including oil from tuna can, until smooth and season with salt and pepper.

TOMATO TONNATO

Steps:

• In a blender, combine olive oil, tuna, mayonnaise, capers, lemon juice, anchovies, garlic and 2 tablespoons basil and purée until creamy.
• Lay tomatoes out on a platter and spoon sauce over the tops. Season with salt and a generous amount of pepper and garnish with basil leaves. Serve with bread.

TONNATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Blend tuna with reserved oil, mayonnaise, anchovies, olive oil, lemon juice, capers, and garlic together in a blender until completely smooth. Season with cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper.