Ingredients

  • 1 pound fettucine
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 3 cups milk
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (eyeball it)
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • 3 6-ounce cans Italian tuna in oil, drained
  • 2 hearts of celery, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 14-ounce can whole artichoke hearts in water, drained and sliced
  • 1 cup frozen green peas
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Zest of 1 lemon

Yield

Serves: 4 servings

Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once the water comes to a boil, add a generous amount of salt and cook the fettucine to al dente.

Place a small sauce pot over medium-low heat and melt the butter. Stir in flour with a wooden spoon and cook for about 1 minute.

Whisk in the milk and bring it to a bubble then reduce the heat to low. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. When sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, turn off heat and reserve.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat with the EVOO. Add tuna, celery, onion, artichokes and peas. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until heated throughout.

Drain pasta and add to the pan with the tuna mixture. Pour in the cream sauce and mix everything together until fully incorporated.

In a small bowl, combine thyme, parsley, garlic and lemon zest. Sprinkle over tuna mixture and serve.