My friend Domenica Marchetti knows her pasta. She’s the author of several fantastic books on Italian cooking, but the latest, The Glorious Pastas of Italy, is probably the closest to her heart, so I had to ask her what kind of dish this mother and wife might make for herself on a night she’s alone. She picked something that she grew up with, that her family made just once a year as part of the traditional Italian “feast of the seven fishes” on Christmas Eve. It dawned on her that she didn’t need to wait for the holidays to make it, and now, neither do I. It’s right up my alley. In fact, the day she sent me the recipe, I looked in my fridge and pantry to confirm I had every single ingredient on hand. I couldn’t help but smile; dinner was sealed, deliciously.

　　

Ingredients

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

　　1 large clove garlic, lightly crushed

　　2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley

　　1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

　　1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste

　　1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

　　1 (2.8-ounce) can top-quality imported Italian or Spanish solid tuna in olive oil, not drained

　　1 or 2 best-quality imported Italian or Spanish anchovy fillets in olive oil, coarsely chopped

　　1 teaspoon capers, drained and minced

　　3 ounces dried fedelini or cappellini (angel hair pasta)

　　

Step 1

Pour the tomatoes and their juices into a medium heavy saucepan and use a wooden spoon to mash them up a bit. Add the garlic, 1 teaspoon of the parsley, the olive oil, salt, and red pepper flakes. Turn the heat on to medium and bring to a simmer. Decrease the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have thickened to a sauce consistency, about 20 minutes. (Reduce the heat to low if necessary to keep the sauce at a gentle simmer.)

　　

Step 2

Stir in the tuna, anchovies, capers, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of parsley. Cook until the sauce is heated through and the ingredients have all melded together nicely, another 3 to 5 minutes.

　　

Step 3

While the sauce is cooking, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and stir to separate the noodles. Cook, according to the manufacturer’s instructions, until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

　　

Step 4

Return the pasta to the pot and spoon some of the sauce over it. Toss well to thoroughly coat the noodles, adding a splash or two of the reserved cooking liquid if necessary to loosen the sauce. Transfer the pasta to a bowl, top with additional sauce, and eat.

　　Cooks' Note

　　Any leftover sauce makes a delicious topping for bruschetta or crostini.

　　Reprinted with permission from Serve Yourself: Nightly Adventures in Cooking for One by Joe Yonan. Text copyright © 2011 by Joe Yonan; photographs copyright © 2011 by Ed Anderson. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.Joe Yonan is the food and travel editor at the Washington Post, where he writes the award-winning "Cooking for One" column. Joe's work also earned the Post the 2009 and 2010 James Beard Foundation's award for best food section. He is the former travel editor at the Boston Globe. Visit www.joeyonan.com.