When is a classic recipe not classic? When you're too desperate to care.
Take tapenade, a classic French Provencal caper-and-olive paste that's a cinch to throw together in the food processor and makes a terrific spread or pasta toss.The problem is the defining ingredient - capers. In Provence, capers are called tapeno, thus the name. While the other ingredients are pantry staples, capers are one of those specialty items that only occasionally find their way into our grocery cart.
The good news is that tapenade without capers, while no longer a true tapenade, is still wonderful.
With apologies to the French classics, we left out the capers, chose tuna over anchovies and added raisins for a slightly sweet twist. What we discovered was a classically inspired spread and pasta toss that fits our daily desperation and our pantries.
(If you do happen to have capers on hand and want to turn our tapenade into a classic version, just add 2 tablespoons of rinsed, drained capers and process them along with the olives. Capers will add a briny element that's somewhat milder than sour pickles.)
Don't be intimidated when you can't turn out the classics. Be inspired by them instead.
Menu:
Not Quite Tuna Tapenade
Baby Spinach Leaves with bottled dressing
Crusty French rolls
NOT QUITE TUNA TAPENADE
8 ounces rigatoni pasta (or other tubular shape)
2 cloves garlic
1 can (6 ounces) pitted ripe olives
1 can (6 ounces) white tuna packed in water
1/4 cup raisins
1 lemon
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Black pepper to taste
2 very ripe tomatoes (about 1/2 pound), optional
Fresh parsley for 2 tablespoons chopped, optional
1/4 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese, optional
Place the pasta in 2 1/2 quarts of boiling unsalted water and cook until tender, 14 to 16 minutes.
Peel the garlic and drop the cloves onto the moving blade of a food processor. Process on high until finely minced. Add the raisins and process on high until finely chopped. Drain the olives and tuna. (Check over the olives to be sure they're all pitted.) Add the olives and tuna to the processor bowl. Pulse the motor about six times until the olives are coarsely chopped.
Squeeze the juice from the lemon and add it to the processor bowl. Add the olive oil, and process on high for about 15 seconds until well-blended. Season with black pepper to taste.
Dice the unpeeled tomatoes, if using, into bite-size pieces and place them (with any juice) in a 3-quart or larger bowl. Chop enough parsley, if using, for 2 tablespoons, and add it to the tomatoes. Add the tuna mixture to the bowl.
When the noodles are just tender, drain them well and add them to the bowl. Stir and toss until the noodles are well-coated with sauce. Serve at once, topping each serving with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, if desired. Serves 4.
Cook's note: To use this as a spread for crackers or toast points, leave out the pasta and optional ingredients and use the juice from only half a lemon.
- Approximate values per serving (using Nutritionist IV software): 499 calories (37 percent from fat), 22 g fat (3 g saturated), 18 mg cholesterol, 22 g protein, 60 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fiber, 441 mg sodium.