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Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Rotini with Cherry Tomatoes and Tuna

I made something similar to this a while back...but this was enough of a change where I thought, what the heck, hardly anyone has seen that old recipe anyway... :)

The nice thing about this recipe...it sort of had that feeling of summertime to it.  We, fortunately, have been experiencing wonderful weather lately.  Last week our highs were in the upper 70's!!  Considering other people were still in single digit weather, I considered myself very lucky.  With the warm weather came a craving for something light and fresh.  And this little dish was the perfect fix for that craving!

Rotini with Cherry Tomatoes and Tuna
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered (I may have actually used about 2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons, plus 2 Tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into bite size pieces
1 small zucchini, cut into bite size pieces or strips
1 garlic clove, minced
2 1/2 cups dried whole grain rotini pasta
1 can of tuna in water, drained

Directions:
In a bowl, add the cherry tomatoes, thyme, lemon juice, salt, pepper, sugar, 2 teaspoons olive oil, and parsley.  Toss to combine; set aside.

Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Drain; reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and saute the pepper over medium heat for about 3 minutes.  Add the zucchini and saute another 2 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Remove from heat and add the drained tuna.  Toss in the drained pasta, the tomato mixture and the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Toss to combine.  If the pasta is too dry, add more oil or the reserved pasta water.  Top with parmesan cheese if desired and enjoy!!


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15 comments:

Debbie said...

My type of food. My son would devour this too. Looks wondeful!

Big Dude said...

It does look nice and summery. Growing up, pasta was always topped with tomato sauce and it wasn't until much later in life that I realized it was really a blank canvas to be creative with - like pizza dough and scrambled eggs.

Andrea the Kitchen Witch said...

This dish makes me, the die hard winter lover, long for summer & gardens :) Its so pretty! And it sounds really delicious, too. Pasta salad has sounded good for a while, this dish makes me really want it now!

Pam said...

Mmmmm - this looks so good. Great photos too.

Cheeseboy said...

Upper 70's?! What the crap?!

This sounds quite good. Light and cheery even. Do I have to wait until we hit the 70's?

Cranberry Morning said...

This is beautiful, and I love beautiful food. It does my heart good, especially since OUR wonderful weather involves getting into the 20s. This is on my list for this week. Thanks for the recipe. I can't wait to make it!

Miss Meat and Potatoes said...

I'm all for posting a tweak or update of an old recipe! You never know who missed it the first time;) This looks so refreshing and light - probably one I need to put on my roster about now;) Thanks for sharing Jenn Jenn!

Angie's Recipes said...

Going to make some pasta for lunch tomorrow! This looks so comforting and tasty.

Rivki Locker said...

Oooh, this does look like summer! There's nothing like tomatoes in NJ in the summer, but I find that the cherry tomatoes come pretty close. Great looking recipe.

Mary Bergfeld said...

Another fast, easy and delicious meal. This looks wonderful, Jenn. I hope you have a terrific day. Blessings...Mary

Katrina (Betty Ray) said...

Major weather envy here. I will save this recipe for when my tomatoes get going all the way in August. Poop. Looks delicious though!

carmenpiva said...

Hi! It's the first time I've been to your kitchen, but I like it, so I'll pop in again to learn from your recipes.

Spoon and Chopsticks said...

Lovely quick and easy meal. Thanks for sharing, Jenn.

Georgia | The Comfort of Cooking said...

Oh Jenn, this looks perfect for the warm weather we've been having in SoCal. I LOVE pasta salads and love them even more with fresh vegetables. I love your addition of tuna, too. This is a must-try! Thanks for sharing!

Unknown said...

Love this...is expensive, delicious and so pretty! I love tuna in my pasta too, it makes it feel more like a meal!