Pasta Primavera with Tuna

I have to share something with you....it's good and it's bad.  Are you ready?  Ok.. good news first:  I made it to the final round of The Perfect 3 Recipe Contest hosted by The Cooking Channel!!!  (WOOHOO!!!!)  Now for the bad news:  I didn't win.  (BOOOO!!!)  But that's ok, honestly, I feel really good that I made it to the final round.  I mean, to me, that was a feat in itself.  Although, I did not win, I did learn a lot through the process and will be much more confident the next time I enter a contest like this!!  Anyway, it was just something I had to share because I felt excited about making it as far as I did.  Win or loose, my recipe got noticed and that was cool in my book!  Oh, and the recipe I entered:  Chicken Braciole with Alfredo Sauce  (big thanks to my mom and Johanna for inspiring that one!!!)

Enough about me... let's talk food! 

Pasta primavera is a dish I've made only a few times.  That sounds a tad bit crazy considering how much pasta we eat.  No real reason at all, other then there are so many different types of pasta out there and so little, little, little time!

This is another perfect weeknight meal.  Simple, delicious, and if you leave the goat cheese out, fairly healthy.  I mean, if I'm gonna eat a bunch of veggies, might as well throw some pasta in there too, right? :)

Pasta Primavera with Tuna
Adapted from The Food Network Magazine, April 2011
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
12 oz corkscrew pasta
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
3-4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup spinach leaves
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup roughly chopped mint leaves
1 can albacore tuna, drained (can be in water or oil, doesn't matter since you are draining it)

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the carrot and cook about 2 minutes.  Add the red bell pepper and cook another 2 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds.  Add the remaining olive oil, the tomatoes, red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoons salt; cook until the tomatoes start to soften, about 1 minute.  Remove from heat and add the cooked pasta and spinach leaves, stirring to combine.  Now add the parmesan and goat cheese and toss until the cheese has melted.  Add the reserved water, a little at a time, until the sauce has thinned out a bit.  Toss in the mint and tuna until everything is combined.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Grilled Sriracha Glazed Chicken