Sardinian fishing village dish revives humble flavors with tuna

By lutfisave13 25/09/2026 2 min read 36 views

Pasticcio Carlofortino appears in chef Francesco Mattana’s debut cookbook Eat Like A Sardinian, offering a taste of a small fishing village’s heritage in a single plate.

Origins of the Dish

Carloforte, a Ligurian-influenced settlement on Sardinia’s southern coast, built its cuisine around bluefin tuna and modest pantry staples. Local cooks traditionally mixed a spoonful of basil-based sauce, a splash of tomato, preserved tuna and any pasta on hand to stretch meals.

The resulting combination became a beloved staple, praised for its flavor and frugality. The dish is essentially basil pesto pasta tossed with roasted cherry tomatoes and quality tuna preserved in olive oil, ready in less time than its history suggests. Mattana mentions the dish as one of his personal favorites in the book.

How to Prepare

Key ingredients include 200g sweet baby plum or small cherry tomatoes, 30g fresh basil, 60ml extra-virgin olive oil, a handful of lightly toasted pine nuts, a garlic clove, 25g each of grated pecorino and Grana Padano, an equal weight of trofie or casarecce pasta, and 150g tuna preserved in olive oil, plus fine sea salt.

First, preheat the oven to 220 °C (475 °F). Toss the tomatoes with olive oil and a pinch of salt, then roast for 12-15 minutes until softened and lightly charred. The heat transforms the fruit, giving it a sweet, caramelized edge that deepens the overall flavor.

Blend basil, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic and a pinch of salt in a food processor until smooth. Add the cheeses and blend again, creating a thick green sauce; a splash of water may help achieve the right consistency. The pesto should coat a spoon without dripping.

Return the drained pasta to the pot off the heat, stir in the pesto until the noodles are evenly coated, and thin the sauce with reserved water if needed. Gently fold in the drained tuna and roasted tomatoes, give a final stir, and serve immediately.