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Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Tuna and Veggie Pasta

To me, summer means light and fresh meals.  Ok, so I don't always follow that thought, but I try.  Especially when it comes to pasta dishes.  I love to eat pasta, but it can be a tad bit heavy at times (creamy thick sauces come to mind).  This recipe, is far from that.  Light, fresh, and perfect for those warm summer nights.  I could honestly eat this a couple of times of week!  You can use chicken instead of tuna if you aren't a fan or leave the meat out all together and enjoy a fantastic fresh veggie pasta.  Either way, this is definitely one to try.  And feel free to use whatever vegetables you want, these just happen to be some of our favorites.

Tuna and Veggie Pasta
Created by Jenn's Food Journey
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 zucchini, cut into rounds, then in half
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
10 oz penne pasta
1 5oz can albacore tuna in oil, partially drained
2 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons Herbs de Provence
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
Fresh basil leaves, torn
Shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:
Cook penne according to package instructions; drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.  Set aside.

In a deep skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the shallot and turn the heat down to medium low.  Cook the shallots until they are soft and translucent, about 8-10 minutes.  Add the pepper and zucchini and saute another 5 minutes.  Stir in the tomatoes and let cook another 3 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook 1 more minutes.  Now add the cooked pasta, tuna, olive oil, Herbs de Provence, and red pepper flakes.  Toss to combine.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve in bowls or on plates.  Top with basil and parmesan.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Greek Style Fish
Two Years Ago:  Sweet and Spicy Grilled Chicken

13 comments:

Alex said...

I am a recent convert to tinned tuna, I adore making tuna melt sandwiches. This looks delicious, definitely one to add to my fledgling tinned tuna repertoire!!

Pam said...

It looks light, healthy, and so delicious Jenn.

Mary said...

I like this a lot, Jenn. This time of year especially, I like a very light dressing on my pasta salads. This sounds delicious.

Carla from The River said...

Sounds wonderful! I will give it a try!

Mary Bergfeld said...

This sounds wonderful. I share your love of lighter pastas for summer. This one begs to be tried. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

Yenta Mary said...

Oh, it's gorgeous and enticing, and perfect for those 100+ degree days you have out there ....

Angie's Recipes said...

A light and satisfying meal.

Debra Hawkins said...

I love tuna meals in the summer! This looks perfect!

Cranberry Morning said...

Oh this looks wonderful! If I hadn't just made chicken pasta for dinner tonight, I'd make this tomorrow. I'll wait a few days and then try it. Yum!

Lea Ann said...

Creamy thick sauces, light summery sauces, I like it all. Pasta is my downfall. This looks wonderful Jenn.

Miss Meat and Potatoes said...

Yum! I love light pastas - in fact I prefer them to heavy ones in general. I think pasta gets a bad rap thanks to all the heavy cream sauces... This looks amazing. Perfect for summer.

Anonymous said...

Light and flavoursome. Ideal now the weather is getting warmer! It is a very aesthetic dish also, lots of colour and texture. :)

Chris said...

Yeah, I tend to go heavy handed on the cream too, not many of my pastas ever come close to "light" anything, lol.