Every now and then, I get a night completely kid free. The stars will align and both of our children find themselves a place other than our house to crash for the night. Usually at a friend’s house surrounded by junk food and video games.
When those rare occasions happen, I find myself in quite the predicament…what do I cook for dinner?
The answer is this quick and easy pantry pasta. Spicy Tomato and Tuna Pasta is a great recipe that is slung together with stuff typically languishing around the house: canned tuna, a few fresh tomatoes, a half a box of pasta, and the remnants of last week’s lasagna filling.
It’s perfect for nights where you want something fast and delicious without the dishes or a run to the grocery store.
Serve with a crusty baguette and a small salad and you’ve got yourself a wonderful weeknight feast.
Pantry Swap Outs
This meal is designed to be customizable, so feel free to add, subtract or swap out things that you’ve got in your house. Here’s a few ideas:
- swap tuna in water for tuna in oil (the one you bought by accident) or canned crab, shrimp or leftover chicken.
- fresh tomatoes can be swapped to canned tomatoes (drain them first)
- fresh basil can be swapped for practically anything you have on hand – thyme, tarragon, oregano, etc.
- Skip the ricotta and substitute copious amounts of Parmesan
- Any size or shape pasta
Ingredients
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 3 vine ripe tomatoes or 1 (15 oz) can of diced tomatoes, drained
- 4 oz. can tuna in water drained
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 Tablespoon minced fresh basil
- 4 oz. angel hair pasta
- 2 Tablespoon lowfat ricotta
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Boil a large saucepan of salted water for the pasta. Cook according to package directions.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add in onion and saute until softened.
- Add in garlic and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Let simmer for 3-4 minutes until tomatoes start to release some of their juice. Add in tuna, basil and red pepper flakes. Turn heat to low and let simmer while pasta cooks. Add pasta directly from water to the pan. Toss everything to combine. Serve with a dollop of ricotta on top.
That looks so yummy! And what a great way to use tuna other than sandwiches (which happens to be my husband's choice)…btw, I'm a new follower of your blog and love it. I live in Georgia too!
That looks like a good recipe, thanks for sharing.
On the bright side, your husband has a job, and you are a mother – that's more than some have today on this holiday. The grass certainly is not always greener on the other side. Holidays are overrated and love should be shown every day, not just on holidays.
Enjoy your blessings.
A mom to heavenly angels
You are absolutely right. I am very thankful for the many blessings that we have. My children are beautiful, my husband is phenomenal, and we have a roof over our heads. We have a healthy and Happy household. Happy Mothers Day to you to.
very nice pasta dish – the spicy got my attention and I am glad I took a look, this sounds really great….
I'm sure your husband made many moms happy today! =) This is a great recipe – love tuna, love spicy tomato. Happy mother's day!
Mmm. I had never heard of this dish until I worked in an amazing Neopolitan restaurant in FL that served spaghetti al tonno. The ricotta is a nice touch.
Simple, basic, but tomato pastas are one of my favorite tastes. Yours looks very tasty. Kind regards !
I adore the graphic style of your blog! It makes it more interesting to read when it looks pretty 🙂
Nice picture! Just by looking at it really made me hungry. Thanks for sharing this recipe, as I am hosting a small party this coming weekend and I need to come up with cheap recipes so I can stretch my budget. This recipe would really go well with a iced cold coffee made from one of my espresso machines at home. Thanks for sharing.