Baasto iyo Suugo Tuuna (Pasta and Spiced Tuna Sauce) Recipe (2024)

Had a surplus of tomatoes and made a homeade tomato sauce and then this. This one of the best pastas I've made from NYT cooking. The spices were subtle and warming and complimented the sweetness of the tomatoes perfectly, the tuna was not overly fishy but added a great depth of umami. 5/5 would make again.

I wish someone would review the actual Somali recipe instead of talking about how they made the Italian version. I didn't have fresh cilantro or cardamom but the spices are nice and warm and balance the tuna. I'll make it again when I have all the ingredients

I've been loving Italian spaghetti (or linguine)with tomato sauce infused with tonno since 1950. It's a common recipe in central Italy. Substitute xawaash with several anchovies (canned in olive oil).

I made this, but doubled the recipe. I only used 1 jar of tomato sauce and that was plenty. Very delicious and warming!

Rao's is excellent ...

I have made pasta with tuna sauce in the past, but this recipe appears to be much tastier. I will probably substitute a can or two of diced tomatoes for the bought sauce, as I don't keep marinara on hand. One question though: why does it need so much oil? I would omit the extra oil or most of it and use the oil from the tuna.

If you're using fresh spices, I found 4 tsp of cumin to be way too much and overpowered the dish. Especially if you're grinding your own spices. Toast them whole, then grind in a mortar and pestle. I recommend cutting the cumin in half (and also only a pinch of cloves, but cloves are always too much for me!).

I've been making this for years minus the special spice blend. I learned the recipe while living in Verona, so it must be an Italian thing too!!

Does xawaash taste similar to garam masala? The ingredients are almost identical.

Although it's true that Somalia is exposed to the ocean, fish is hardly part the diets of most Somali families, save for small enclaves in towns that are actually on the coast. "Baasto" is universal in the southern half of the country, and the suugo is mildly spiced as here, with hot green peppers known as bisbaas served as a condiment, but meat (mutton or goat) is more common than canned tuna (a luxury item), along with potatoes and carrots. It is often topped with a whole banana.

My solution to this problem is to look on the label and check two things - first ingredient should always be tomatoes not tomato paste. There should be no sugar in the ingredient list. Such sauces often cost more but you won't have the "too sweet" issue. Kirkland Organic Marinara from Tuscany is a good base sauce, also the Sonoma Gourmet line. Good luck.

With the caveat that I am not Somali and have never had the original dish, the proportions of 8oz of pasta to 24oz of sauce seems bonkers unless the intent is to have a very saucy dish or sauce left over. If you use 16oz of pasta the proportions work out pretty well and the plates look like the photo on the recipe.The dish has great flavor and is really easy to make otherwise.

This is similar to something I've made for years. Mirepoix + chopped, skinned tomatoes, and tuna, served over spaghetti squash. Yummy.

This is perfect as written. I used Rao’s marinara. It’s beautiful, warm, and comforting and will be a staple in my rotation now.

Tuna spaghetti is an old family fave. I like the spice blend idea, but making it separately hardly seems like a stressed out weeknight quick supper. I will make this soon, but add the spices to the sautéeing onions and garlic, sizzle for a minute, then add the sauce and tuna

After reading the recipe, decided it looked delicious and it was. The whole family including my grandson really enjoyed it.

Substitute cardamom with nutmeg

Really enjoyed this. Next time I’ll use a bit more heat. I didn’t mind the amount of cumin btw. And it’ll live up to its potential to be easy if I have the Xawash mix prepared ahead if time.

Very tasty and quick to make. I used crushed tomatoes instead of marinara. The spices were warming and comforting. Next time I would double the tuna or use fewer tomatoes.

We loved this recipe.I didn't have tuna in oil, so I drained the water and then added a couple of Tbs of oil from my anchovy jar .I mixed my own Xawaash Blend as per the recipe. Instead of store bought tomato sauce I used a pint of homemade tomato sauce which is much thinner, but worked very well when the sauce simmered down for a couple of minutes. Hence, I didn't need to add any pasta water.I used 10oz of bucatini pasta. The sauce held up to it very well.I will definitely make this again.

It was worth reading the cooking notes here, which said the sauce was better the next day. I made it early morning, and it was underwhelming. A few hours later, it was exquisite. Used the NYTimes classic marinara sauce recipe:https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015987-classic-marinara-sauce This was as good as a sauce Bolognese and healthier--without beef, butter, heavy cream or milk. Somehow the spice mix transformed the tuna.

Delicious! Garnished with green onions for freshness.

This was really tasty and so easy! I made it pretty much according to the recipe, adjusting the spices a bit. I used a tin of good quality Spanish tuna, sauteeing the onions and garlic in the tuna oil, and a carton of passata. I added some cautiflower when cooking the pasta.

Delicious. Flavorful. Easy. Comforting. Followed as is!

Thank you for this, it was absolutely excellent. Made according to recipe with just a bit of extra garlic.

Did not expect this to be as delicious as it was! Excellent, easy and all long keeping staples except the fresh cilantro. Am definitely adding this to my collection of recipes that can be made mostly with things from the pantry.

Made as written with homemade tomato sauce, but doubled the tuna (2 cans) for our family of four pretty big eaters. Everyone was skeptical but then everyone loved it. Will definitely make this again, the spices are delicious and much more subtle than I might have expected given the quantity.

Made as written and loved it. Perfect for a chilly fall dinner, especially on a busy weeknight. The spices are fragrant and warm and the tuna is far from overpowering. Already looking forward to making it again. And again.

Made this exactly as written except that I used whole wheat spaghetti. This recipe sounded like its flavors would stand up to the distinctive nuttiness of the whole wheat, and it served perfectly. Will definitely be making this easy dish every so often.

This was really delicious! “Different” but oddly also feeling familiar. I’d also characterize this as comfort food. Halved the recipe, but used the full recipe quantities of the onion, tuna, black pepper, cinnamon, and cardamom… and these ratios tasted “right” to our pallets. Great pantry dish, quick and easy.