Spicy Vegan Tuna Puttanesca with Orecchiette

When it comes to pasta, my motto is, the more the better. That’s right. Despite my efforts to eat healthier over the years, the one thing I refuse to give up is carbs. I love spaghetti, mac & cheese, ramen, bread…all of it. But I’m also not afraid to add any of them to a bowl of raw veggies to balance it all out.

But I’ve recently discovered a brand of vegan tuna called Unfished, and you know that meant I needed a do over from my last vegan puttanesca dish!

There are a lot of variations on what it means to make a true puttanesca but this is a vegan food blog so we already know there won’t be any anchovies or other formerly living critters in this recipe, and that’s all right because that’s where the vegan tuna comes in.

This dish was pretty easy to make, especially if you already know the basics of building a good red sauce. Even if you don’t, you’ll find it easy…with a bit of prep work.

Let’s talk a little about Unfished plant tuna. It’s delicious. I’m not being paid by them but it is really delicious and a little bit oily and, yeah, a little close to the real thing. If you enjoy tuna salad or tuna sandwiches, this is a good alternative. In fact, it is so far the best plant tuna I’ve had a chance to taste, but if you have any recommendations, drop them in the comments below.

Unfished comes in four flavors but the best is the lemon pepper and the Mediterranean & herbs. They are flavorful but in my opinion, the most versatile to be used in applications beyond salad and sandwiches.

So yeah, it’s quite versatile. Now, on to the puttanesca recipe and ingredients.

For the orecchiette, cook it according to the package instructions. I like to take off a minute or two of boiling if I’m going to toss the pasta with the sauce, which I totally recommend for this recipe.