Pasta and Tuna with Tomatoes and Parmesan
Snowed in! No matter--just an excuse to deplete a well-stocked arsenal of pantry staples.
Raised in an era of bomb shelters and well-stocked cellars; a fear of the unfathomable unknown and worst case scenarios are burned into my psyche. Indeed, my family could live off the larder in our basement, without ever leaving, a good 6 months.
Today's pantry has some enticing ingredients that will provide a delicious meal in minutes.
Basically the DNA of this recipe is top-drawer, locally made pasta, extra virgin olive oil, tuna, canned tomatoes and capers. I have some leftover spinach and excellent Parmesan to add.
Other options gracing past “recipes” have included chopped kalamata olives, chopped red onion, steamed veggies, leftover salmon and fresh chopped basil.
Yield: 3 servings
Time: 15 minutes
Cost: $13.00
Recipe insight and requests always welcome in the food/beverage section of http://www.annarbor.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=1&id=46
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes (I enjoy using Muir Glen Fire Roasted tomatoes)
3 tablespoons drained capers
1 can (6 ounces) solid white tuna in water , drained and rinsed
6 ounces dry pasta
8 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
Red pepper flakes
Freshly grated Italian cheese, such as Parmigiano Regianno or Pecorino Romano
*I used a 1/2 bag of Al Dente Spinach Fettucine
Directions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. As water comes to a boil, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add anchovies and garlic and sauté one minute. Add tomatoes with their liquid and cook until liquid has evaporated slightly. Add capers and tuna.
3. When water comes to a boil, cook pasta 3 minutes. Place spinach in colander then drain pasta over spinach. Stir drained pasta and remaining olive oil into sauce and heat through. Season to taste with red pepper flakes and freshly grated cheese.