Troccoli al Ragù di Tonno Fresco Pugliese
Puglia — coastal provinces, Gulf of Taranto and Gargano
Troccoli (a thick, square-sectioned fresh pasta from Puglia, rolled with a grooved rolling pin called the troccolo) with a fresh tuna ragù — a coastal Pugliese preparation from the Gulf of Taranto and Gargano where bluefin tuna has been caught seasonally for centuries. Fresh tuna (ventresca or shoulder) is cubed and braised briefly in olive oil, garlic, cherry tomatoes, and white wine — the tuna must not be cooked past the point of just-flaking. The pasta's thick ridged surface holds the chunky, oil-rich sauce perfectly.