Whew! It’s been a couple of weeks since I have done a Tuna Tuesday post. Tuesday keeps sneaking up on me! Anyway, I wanted to show you guys this quick and easy dinner dish. It is packed with a lot of flavor and is a perfect way to use some of the spinach that you can find everywhere right now. If you don’t have fresh spinach, feel free to use frozen spinach that has been thawed and squeezed.
You will probably also notice that I am using some truffle oil in this dish. Truffle oil is a very pungent oil that packs a lot of punch in just a little drizzle. Truffle oil reminds me a lot of fish oil. When you first give it a whiff in the bottle you are skeptical about how good something this stinky is going to taste, but it really adds another layer of flavor to a dish that is quite delectable. Now, if you go to your grocery you will probably find that truffle oil is very expensive. The really good stuff can be astronomical in price, but I have found the best place to find it ( and many other specialty items) at a pretty darn good price: TJ Maxx. Or Ross. Or Marshalls. One of those types of places. They, surprisingly, have a great selection of specialty food at really good prices. I picked up a big bottle of white truffle oil and a bottle of black truffle oil for $6 each. Believe me when I tell you that $6 is an unbelievable price for this stuff and a bottle will last a very long time. So keep your eyes peeled!
Tuna, Spinach & Bacon Penne
Serves 4
adapted from Earthbound Cook
1 box penne ( 1 pound)
4 slices of bacon, chopped
2 T olive oil
2 scallions, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth or white wine
2 cans, tuna in olive oil, drained
1 pound fresh spinach, washed and dried
salt and pepper
grated Parmesan to taste
drizzle of Black Truffle oil
Red chili flakes, to taste
First, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Do not drain.
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add in bacon and olive oil. Cook the bacon until it is almost crisp and add in the scallions and garlic. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Add in the tuna and broth or wine and turn heat to medium-high. Pile as much spinach as you can into the skillet and cover with a lid.
Cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionaly until the spinach wilts down.
By now, the pasta should be ready. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, add the pasta to the skillet and toss all the ingredients together. Add 3/4 cup of the pasta water to the pan and continue to toss. If the pasta is too dry add a little more pasta water. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the pasta with a little bit of truffle oil ( no more than a teaspoon or so) and serve.
Top with a generous amount of grated Parmesan and chili flakes and enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 pound box penne 1
- 4 slices of bacon chopped
- 2 T olive oil
- 2 scallions sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup chicken broth or white wine
- 2 in cans tuna olive oil, drained
- 1 pound fresh spinach washed and dried
- salt and pepper
- grated Parmesan to taste
- drizzle of Black Truffle oil
- Red chili flakes to taste
Instructions
- First, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Do not drain.
- Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add in bacon and olive oil. Cook the bacon until it is almost crisp and add in the scallions and garlic. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the tuna and broth or wine and turn heat to medium-high. Pile as much spinach as you can into the skillet and cover with a lid.
- Cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until the spinach wilts down.
- By now, the pasta should be ready. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, add the pasta to the skillet and toss all the ingredients together. Add 3/4 cup of the pasta water to the pan and continue to toss. If the pasta is too dry add a little more pasta water. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the pasta with a little bit of truffle oil ( no more than a teaspoon or sand serve.
- Top with a generous amount of grated Parmesan and chili flakes and enjoy!
Nutrition
What a perfect dish – especially with that truffle oil.
this may be the best, most wonderful way of making tuna noodles…. sounds like it is loaded with flavor