Name: Seared Ahi Tuna with Mediterranean Style Pasta in Caper Sauce Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 12 oz. Ahi (Yellowfin) Tuna; 4 oz whole wheat spaghetti, linguine or angel hair pasta; 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; The juice of 2 medium lemons; 2 cloves garlic, minced fine; 1 tbsp Italian seasoning blend; Salt and pepper to taste

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I’ve recently fallen completely in love with seared tuna. Not just because it’s healthy, but because the flavor of this fish is really quite nice, even when purchased frozen. (The safest bet when you live nearly 400 miles from the nearest ocean.) cooking time is minimal, the family loves it, and it’s versatile without being terribly expensive. What’s not to love about it?

This is a second try of a recipe that I originally made with pouched tuna, but the texture of that particular dish was off, even if the flavor was good. I wanted to try a riff on the concept with fresh tuna instead, and I’m incredibly glad that I did, it was worth the second try without a doubt, as this version had far more flavor and a more pleasing texture by far.

If you’re looking for a lovely little introduction to spring, you can’t go wrong with this one.

4 servings

Seared Ahi Tuna with Mediterranean Style Pasta in Caper Sauce Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

12 oz. Ahi (Yellowfin) Tuna
4 oz whole wheat spaghetti, linguine or angel hair pasta
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
The juice of 2 medium lemons
2 cloves garlic, minced fine
1 tbsp Italian seasoning blend
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Begin cooking pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water per package instructions.
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and allow to come to a shimmer. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add lemon juice, capers, salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes or until slightly reduced, whisking frequently. Add capers and toss to coat. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer slightly for 3 to 4 minutes.
Heat a medium skillet over medium heat with a blast of nonstick spray or 1 tbsp olive oil. Season tuna on both sides with salt and pepper. Just before oil in skillet begins smoking, add tuna steaks and cook until lightly browned and well seared. (About 1 minute.) Turn tuna gently onto a hot portion of the pan and repeat. Remove from heat immediately and allow to rest at least 1 minute.
Add Italian Seasoning to caper sauce and stir to combine. Drain pasta and toss with caper sauce. Place a portion on serving plate.
Slice tuna and lay out next to pasta. Garnish with a few more capers. Serve Immediately.
Share and Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 288Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 115mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 4gSugar: 9gProtein: 6g

What I would have done differently had I thought of it at the time:

I think less in the way of herbs would help here. perhaps changing out the Italian seasoning for some fresh thyme would do a better job. Also, I think the tuna could benefit from a bit of lemon zest seared right into the flesh to add a bit of zing. Otherwise, this was absolutely fabulous!

Links to other recipes like this:

Italian Tuna and Pasta, from La Mia Cucina
Mediterranean Tuna Salad, from Chocolate and Zucchini

9 Comments

Ben on February 12, 2009 at 6:24 pm

I need more fish in my diet :( Your picture looks amazing!

Jerry on February 12, 2009 at 6:51 pm

We do too, that’s why there are a ton of fish recipes lately. And thanks! The new dSLR is taking some getting used to, but I’m starting to get the hang of it and the pics are soooo much better.

Jo on February 13, 2009 at 6:22 pm

that looks amazing Jerry… and your picture is awesome! well done :)

Jerry on February 13, 2009 at 11:07 pm

Thanks Jo!,
I’m still getting used to the new camera, but all-in-all it seems to be coming out better. That is most likely still due to the engineers at Sony, rather than my skill level

kellypea on February 19, 2009 at 9:32 pm

This is my favorite way to eat tuna, too. In fact, I’ll eat it raw if it’s excellent quality. The capers got my attention in this because I made something sort of like it last summer. Sooooo tasty. This is making me wish it was on my dinner menu for the evening.

Ben on February 19, 2012 at 4:05 pm

AHI Tuna is almost always frozen before it is shipped. It is flash frozen which gives it the pink color.

Never Frozen Ahi is a rare find even on the pacific coast. Its color is purple.

Rose on June 22, 2014 at 2:37 pm

Hi: Just tried the recipe last night and decided to make a few changes today. Both were good but I found the original one was a little to bitter/lemony for me…So I added some white Chardonnay, a few small cut up tomatoes and whole green peppercorns along with the garlic, lemon juice, capers…I also used rice pasta as I am wheat intolerant…Worked fine. Perfect with a side of arugula salad with balsamic vinegar and olive oil…Yumm Yumm!!!