Tomato and tuna pasta are an easy fix when the fridge is bare
Sure, sure, fresh ingredients are essential to healthy living, but a well-stocked kitchen pantry is also key in preventing you from spending money on greasy takeout after work.
Dried pasta, couscous, canned beans, tomato paste, olive oil, canned tuna — these are among the things you should always have in your kitchen so you can whip up a cheap, delicious dinner in less time than it takes to get pad Thai from a food ordering app.
Stock up on blocks of frozen spinach and bags of peas in the freezer to add some greens to your plate when you can’t get to the supermarket. Also, have some onions and garlic on hand to infuse tons of flavour to your dish for mere pennies.
Using these ingredients, I often whip up this one-pot pasta dish for the times I get home late from work and don’t have any fresh produce in the fridge and forgot to defrost meat in the freezer. It’s essentially boiling pasta, then tossing in flavourings and using the residual heat to warm up tuna, but it tastes great and it has got me through some financially tight times. 1 cup (250 mL) dried whole wheat penne 1/2 cup (125 mL) frozen peas, rinsed 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil 1 minced garlic clove 1 can solid light tuna packed in water, drained and flaked 1 tbsp (15 mL) tomato paste Salt and pepper, to taste Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)
In a small pot over medium-high heat, bring salted water to a roaring boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions or until al dente. Add peas, stir for 10 to 20 seconds. Turn off heat and drain peas and pasta. Return pasta to pot.
Add olive oil, garlic and tuna to pot. Stir.
Add tomato paste and stir until evenly coated. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley, if using. Serve immediately. Makes 1 serving. Get tomato paste in a tube: Tomato paste usually comes in a can, but look for it in a tube for easier storage. Mutti is a reliable Italian brand that just hit supermarket shelves in Canada in March. Squeeze out as much paste as you need, twist the cap back on and voila; no need to stain plastic storage containers with leftover tomato paste.
Other add-ons: This dish is essentially a dumping ground for leftover veggies and pantry staples. Toss in chopped bell peppers, that one sad asparagus spear, sun-dried tomatoes, greens that have become too wilted for salads, any bits of cheese; it’s a dish fit for Fridge Flush Fridays (seriously, a weekly fridge purge does wonders for the mind). karonliu@thestar.ca