Gemelli with Tuna, Tomatoes and Jalapeño

Gemelli, tightly wound coils of pasta, work especially well with chunky sauces like this one, which gets a spicy kick from chopped jalapeño.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a food processor, finely chop the jalapeño with the garlic, shallot, capers and anchovies. In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the jalapeño mixture and cook over moderate heat until it begins to turn light golden, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Cook the gemelli in the boiling water until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/3 cup of the cooking water. Add the gemelli and the cooking water to the skillet and toss with the jalapeño mixture over low heat until evenly coated. Add the tuna and tomatoes and cook until heated through. Season with salt and pepper, stir in the basil and serve.