Garlic pasta with Tuna Nicoise

There are endless pasta dishes, and almost endless pasta and tuna dishes, but this one is particularly delicious and moist. Please use only fresh high-quality tuna, and don't overcook the tuna. You can vary the amount of hot pepper to match your taste, but I always serve it with extra hot pepper on the side. Accompany this dish with a loaf of crusty bread, either sour dough or French and a mixed green salad.

Ingredients

roasted garlic linguine or fettucine, 1 pound
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 pound fresh tuna with skin left on
freshly ground black pepper
1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced
8 anchovies packed in olive oil
1/2 tsp. dried hot red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 cup dry red wine
2-14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes
4 ounce can of tomato paste
3/4 cup calamata black olives, pitted and halved
2 T. chopped fresh or 1 T. dried parsley

Bring 6 quarts of water to boil, and add 2 T. salt.

In a large sauté pan, heat oil over medium heat and sear tuna well on both sides (about 3 minutes per side), sprinkling with black pepper. Remove tuna to a plate, discard the skin, and cut into 1/2" by 1/2" pieces. Add onion, anchovies, and red pepper flakes to oil, and stir until anchovies and onion slices are soft. Add garlic and bay leaves and cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Add wine and bring to a simmer. Stir in canned tomatoes and tomato paste. Add olives and tuna and stir until well mixed. Bring just to a boil, and immediately cover, and remove from the heat. At this point, put the pasta in to boil. Cook until just al dente. Drain the pasta, check the sauce for pepper and salt. Add the pasta to the sauté pan and quickly toss. Serve immediately.