Rigatoni with Tuna and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

What a simple and yummy meal! This is a great dinner to do if you are pressed for time. Hardly took any time at all to put together!

The sun-dried tomatoes added so much flavor! They were so delicious! Also tossing the pasta in the skillet with everything else added some nice flavor to the pasta (I already had bow-tie pasta in the cabinet, so I just used that instead of buying some rigatoni). I almost didn't add the crushed red pepper flakes because I have had a bad experience in the past with cooking red pepper flakes, but it didn't call for much so I went ahead and went through with it. I'm glad I did, because it gave the dish a nice, slight kick to it. Not too overpowering, just right. Using the lemon wedge at the end topped the whole dish off and really brought everything together!

A few notes from the cookbook: 1) Sun-dried tomatoes are vine-ripened tomatoes that have been picked and dried. These tomatoes deliver an intense flavor year round. Sun-dried tomatoes can be purchased dried or oil-packed, 2) This recipe is great with traditional Italian tuna, or tonno, which has a rich, mellow flavor. Look for olive oil-packed tuna in the gourmet or Italian section of larger supermarkets, 3) Canned tuna can be substituted for the vacuum-packed tuna, and 4) To round out the meal, serve with a fresh arugula salad tossed with red wine vinaigrette.

Rigatoni with Tuna and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Pampered Chef 29 Minutes to Dinner
Published by The Pampered Chef, Ltd. in 2007.

Total time: 25 minutes  Yield: 4 servings

8 oz uncooked rigatoni pasta
2 oz Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
1 lemon
3 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 pouch chunk light tuna

1. Bring salted water to a boil in (4-qt.) Casserole (Did they mean Saucepan?) Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
2. Meanwhile, grate cheese using Deluxe Cheese Grater. Pat tomatoes dry using paper towels. Slice tomatoes and chop parsley using Santoku Knife. Cut lemon into wedges; set aside.
3. Heat oil, pressed garlic and pepper flakes in Stir-Fry Skillet over medium-high heat 1-2 minutes or until garlic turns golden (do not allow to burn). Immediately stir in tuna and tomatoes; cook 2-3 minutes or until tomatoes are tender. Add pasta, half of the parsley and half of the cheese to Skillet; toss gently.
4. To serve, divide pasta among serving plates. Sprinkle with remaining parsley and cheese. Serve with lemon wedges.