Grilled Tuna Zucchini Pasta and Sauce

As you know, it’s a smart move to avoid fish that may contain high levels of mercury. Damon Stainbrook, former sous chef of French Laundry, has been focusing on conscientious cooking, including working with Safe Harbor to make sure the fish he uses in his recipes meets strict standards for mercury content. He also looks for fish caught using sustainable methods.

To help promote healthy, sustainable cooking, Stainbrook wants to share the recipe below for grilled tuna zucchini pasta and artichoke sauce.

Grilled Tuna Zucchini Pasta and Artichoke Sauce

Ingredients *

• 4 tuna steaks, 6 oz each
• kosher salt
• black pepper
• oil

Zucchini Pasta

• 4 cups julienne green and gold zucchini
• 2 tsp kosher salt

Artichoke Sauce

• 16 oz peeled, seeded and diced tomatoes
• 1 medium yellow onion diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup diced marinated baby artichokes
• 1 to 2 tsp finely minced hot or mild chile pepper, or to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• black pepper to taste

Black Olive Tapenade

• 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives chopped (or olives of your liking)
• 1 big garlic clove minced
• 1 tbsp capers
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped
• pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp red or white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation

• Combine all tapenade ingredients, tasting and adding salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let stand at room temperature before serving. Makes 1 1/2 cups.
• Julienne the zucchini into long, thin pasta-like shape. Toss with salt and let sit in colander for 15 minutes. Zucchini will soften to an al dente consistency.
• To make the sauce cook onion and garlic with salt over low heat in a heavy bottom pot until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and simmer for thirty minutes. Add artichokes, chile pepper and basil and simmer another 10 minutes. Add black pepper to taste and set sauce aside to cool.
• Right before grilling tuna toss the sauce and zucchini together in large bowl.
• Pull tuna steaks out of fridge 15 minutes before cooking which will help to keep the tuna from sticking to the grill (If using). Season tuna steaks with salt and pepper, then brush lightly with oil.
• Lightly brush a grill rack, or broiler pan with a little oil. Grill tuna over coals medium high heat. Turn after about 2 to 3 minutes for rare tuna, 4 to 6 minutes for more medium to well done. Tuna should maintain a pink center, but will flake easily around edges.
• To finish twist equal portions of pasta onto four plates, top with grilled tuna and tablespoon of tapenade.

Serves four.

*You can find Safe Harbor-certified fish for this recipe at any CA area Andronico’s, DeLano’s, Woodlands Market, and The Fish Market. Wherever you purchase your fish, be cautious when buying bluefin tuna, canned white/albacore and imported bigeye/yellowfin tuna caught by longline fishing methods. Those fish tend to have higher mercury levels.

(Image and recipe courtesy MSR communications/Damon Stainbrook)