Canadian food phenom Mary Berg is taking the fear out of food prep in her upcoming book, In Mary’s Kitchen (due in October). Mary, who says her kitchen is her happy place, wants to make your kitchen stress-free, too. This delish recipe should do the trick!

PANTRY PUTTANESCA

SERVES 4 TO 6

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, finely diced
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 4 (to 6) anchovy fillets
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/4 cup dry white wine or vodka, optional
• 1 can (27 fl oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 lb dried pasta, any shape
• 1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives
• 1/2 cup sliced roasted red peppers
• 1/2 cup sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
• 3 tbsp capers
• 6 oz oil-packed tuna, drained
• 3 tbsp finely chopped parsley + more for serving
• 1 tbsp finely chopped oregano + more for serving

METHOD:

Place a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat and add the oil. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened and lightly golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and anchovies and cook until the anchovies break down, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to bring the flavours together.

Deglaze the pan with the wine and cook down for about 1 minute to reduce the liquid by half. If you don’t have any wine on hand or are avoiding alcohol, deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup water. Carefully pour in the crushed tomatoes, stir in the red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cover the pan with an off-kilter lid to allow steam to escape.

While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Season well with salt and cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking liquid, then drain the pasta and set aside.

Stir the olives, roasted red peppers, sundried tomatoes and capers into the sauce, and season to taste with more pepper. You should not need more salt, as the anchovies, olives and capers are all quite salty. Add the pasta, tuna, parsley and oregano and stir well to combine. If the sauce is a little thick, add the reserved cooking liquid about 1/4 cup at a time until the sauce has a silky consistency.

Serve immediately scattered with more oregano and parsley, if desired.