Linguine with Tuna, Capers, and Olives

I found this recipe in Food and Wine. I really liked it. The orange zest is a nice compliment to the salty flavors of the capers and olives. The oil from the tuna lends a nice base that smooths out and unifies the overall composition and makes the tuna less fishy. Plus, it's a really easy dish to make. If you can't find dried sage or rosemary, pop some fresh herbs in the oven at 350 and dry them out a bit. It works pretty well.

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
3/4 teaspoon grated orange zest (from 1/2 orange)
1 tablespoon drained chopped capers
1/4 cup chopped green olives
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
2 6-ounce cans tuna packed in olive oil
1/2 teaspoon wine vinegar
3/4 pound linguine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

In a medium frying pan, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the garlic, sage, and rosemary and stir until the garlic just starts to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the orange zest, capers, olives, salt, pepper, and the tuna with its oil. Remove from the heat; stir in the vinegar.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the linguine until just done, about 12 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss with the tuna sauce and parsley.

NOTES Tuna Packed in Oil

Here we use tuna packed in olive oil, and we count on that oil as part of the sauce. If your tuna doesn't have at least one-and-a-half tablespoons of oil per can, add a little more olive oil to make up the difference. Of course, you can use tuna packed in vegetable oil, too, but avoid water-packed tuna at all costs. The flavor, and most of the nutrients for that matter, leach out into the water.