Pasta with Tuna and Tomato Sauce

Mmmmm... this was pretty yummy. For as simple of a dish as it was, it had a great flavor to it! Surely something that the whole family would enjoy, and it's a great, quick weeknight meal to fix.

The recipe calls for shells, but I already had bowtie pasta on hand, so I decided to just use that instead. As I was adding the bowtie pasta to the boiling water, I realized I didn't have enough, so I also added a little spaghetti pasta as well. Hey, whatever works, right? I also didn't get any ricotta cheese (mostly because I didn't see any at the store), so instead of mixing any cheese in with everything, I sprinkled the top with a combination of the grated parmesan cheese and some shredded mozzarella cheese.

I was curious how tuna would taste with a traditional pasta and tomato sauce dish, but it turned out great! I thought the tuna added a nice dynamic to the dish. The tuna flavor definitely comes through though, so you need to like tuna to enjoy this.The recipes notes that, "Tuna packed in olive oil is highly recommended for this recipe. If all you have is tuna packed in water, you can try draining it and then adding olive oil to the can, and letting it soak in the olive oil in the fridge for several hours, but you will get the best results if you start with tuna packed in oil." 

I got tuna packed in water and added some olive oil and let it soak, and that worked out just fine. I didn't let it set for several hours, but for probably about 30 minutes and it still soaked in enough and added a nice flavor to everything. The recipe only calls for a 6-ounce can of tuna (for 6-8 servings), but I just didn't think that that sounded like enough. Besides, tuna is good for you! So, I decided to double that, and I recommend you do the same!

Enjoy!

Pasta with Tuna and Tomato Sauce

Prep time: 5 minutes  Cook time: 35 minutes  Yield: 6-8 servings

4 tbsp unsalted butter

1 28-oz can of tomatoes, whole or crushed

salt

1 lb pasta shells

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1 6-oz can tuna packed in olive oil

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped or torn

a generous 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. Melt the butter in a medium pot on medium heat and add the can of tomatoes, including the juice. If you are using whole canned tomatoes (or fresh ones) crush them with your fingers as you put them in the pot. Simmer gently, partially covered, for 30 minutes.

2. Once the sauce is cooking, heat a large pot of well salted water to a strong boil. Add the shell pasta to the boiling water and cook at a vigorous boil, uncovered, until al dente, cooked through but still a bit firm to the bite, which is usually whatever the time specified on the pasta package minus about 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. Pour off the excess oil from the tuna can and stir the tuna into the tomato sauce. Add the ricotta cheese, and add salt to taste. Turn off the heat. Mix the sauce with the pasta in a large bowl. Mix in the basil.

4. Pour the pasta into a 2 to 3-quart casserole dish and top with the parmesan cheese. Put under a hot broiler for 4-6 minutes, until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Serve hot.