Hot Penne with Chilled Tomato Sauce and Charred Tuna

By andrea_turnowski

NYTimes- Mimi Sheraton

Ingredients

• The sauce:
• 4 large re, ripe tomatoes, about 3 1/2 lbs., cored and quartered
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1 tbsp. capers, drained, washed and dried
• 16 black pitted nicoise olives
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 3 peels lemon zest
• salt and pepper to taste
• The pasta:
• salt
• 1 lb. penne
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• The fish:
• 1 12-16 oz. tuna steak
• kosher salt to taste

Preparation

Step 1

1. Place all the sauce ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse on and off until roughly chopped. Pour the sauce in a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil with 1 tbsp. salt, add the penne. Cook, stirring down with a fork, for 10-12 minutes
3. Meanwhile, place a cast-iron skillet over high heat and sprinkle the pan with one tbsp. of kosher salt.
When the salt begins to sputter, add the tuna steak, sprinkle the top of the steak with more salt and cook until lightly charred, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to cutting board.
4. Drain the pasta and toss with the remaining 1tbsp. of olive oil. Divide the pasta and sauce among four dishes. Slice the tuna into quarter-inch slice and place over the sauce.
Serve.