Pirate Pasta

Don't have a clue why this is named Pirate Pasta. Giada said her mother made it for them when they were children and told them there were treasures in the pasta to find. You can find her recipe Here  I cut this recipe in 1/2, but I gave the the whole recipe. I still had some left-over for lunch some day this week.




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Ingredients:
Kosher salt
1 pound Penne pasta
1 cup grated Romano cheese (6ounces)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces mushrooms, such as cremini, button or shitake, sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup medium green olives (about 18) pitted and halved
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
One 10-ounce or two 5-ounce cans tuna in olive oil, such as Tonnino, drained
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm to the bite, 8-10 minutes. Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta. Place the pasta and 1/2 cup cheese in a large bowl and toss until coated.  In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms begin to brown, 5-6 minutes. Add the olives, tomato paste, capers, red pepper flakes, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and the tuna. Using a wooden spoon, break up the tuna into 1-inch pieces. Add the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove the garlic and discard.  Pour tuna mixture over the pasta. Add the remaining 1/2 cup cheese and the basil, and toss until coated, using the reserved cooking liquid to loosen the sauce. Season with salt and pepper.