Spicy Tuna Linguine with Garlic and Pine Nuts

Honestly, I can take canned tuna or leave it. Now a nice piece of seared ahi tuna is a different story(love it!), but I never ever think, "Mmm. I can't wait to open up that can of tuna that has been at the back of my pantry for Lord- knows-how-long and eat it for lunch." For one thing, it stinks. I will agree that can of tuna does have potential: tuna salad sandwiches, tuna noodle casserole, grilled tuna patties... but it's just never in the front of my mind when I'm thinking of what to eat. Well here is one recipe that, in my opinion, elevates the value of canned tuna exceptionally. Makes it classy, even. But I wouldn't say "fancy" because then I'm thinking of Fancy Feast and my whole mindset that canned tuna is okay goes right to cat food and I'm done. It ruins the whole Spicy Tuna Linguine euphoric glow that I've been basking in since dinner. So, "classy" tuna it is.

There were a lot of flavors and textures going on with this light, refreshing pasta: the familiar garlic, the subtle heat from the red pepper flakes, the tuna, the freshness of the cilantro and finally the toasted pine nut topping. I'll go ahead and answer the question that I am asked about most of my meals: yes the kids ate it! I dished out their portion before adding the cilantro (because it's green...oh the horror!) and the pine nuts (because I only like those nuts BEFORE my food, mommy, not IN it!). I also picked the mushrooms out of one of the bowls. Sneaky, sneaky. Anyway, Yeah. They liked it. Shovelled in mouthfuls of noodles, even.

So to begin, I minced 4 cloves of garlic, chopped 1/2 cup of onion, and sliced 2 cups of mushrooms.


I tossed that into a skillet heated with a tablespoon of olive oil and added...


1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes. Cook the mushroom mixture until golden brown.


Then I measured about 14 oz. of chicken broth and added it to the skillet with


a can of diced tomatoes.


I brought that to a boil and threw in the linguine. Give it a stir to make sure that the pasta strands are all separated. Then, reduce the heat, cover and cook until your pasta is tender.


Add the can of drained tuna and stir to combine.


Oh, and don't forget the fresh, chopped cilantro. I love cilantro!


Serve it topped with toasted pine nuts. You can't really see them in this picture. I accidentally stirred them in before I remembered to take the shot. Oops.

I love this pasta. I'm thrilled that there are leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Seriously. I'm not just saying that. Canned tuna. Hmm. Impressive.


Spicy Tuna Linguine with Garlic and Pine Nuts

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
9 oz. uncooked linguine, dry or fresh
1 can (12 ounces) water packed tuna, drained and chunked
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts or almonds

In 12-inch skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat; saute garlic, mushrooms, onion and red pepper until golden brown. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, salt and black pepper; bring to a boil.
Separate uncooked linguine into strands; place in skillet and spoon sauce over. Reduce heat to simmer; cook, covered, until cooked through. About 4 minutes for fresh, 10 or more for dry. Toss gently; add tuna and cilantro and toss again. Sprinkle with pine nuts.
Makes 6 servings.

I added up the total calculated Weight Watchers points for all of the ingredients and divided by 6 servings. I came up with 5 Weight Watcher's points per serving if you sprinkle it with 1 tablespoon of toasted pine nuts. 1 T of pine nuts = 1 point according to my 2003 WW book.

Pasta with Green Beans, Potatoes, and Pesto

I came across this recipe in my Williams Sonoma Food and Wine Pairing Cookbook. I received it as a shower gift about 6 years ago. I believe that this is the first recipe I've tried. Not that it's a bad book. I've got more with post-it's on them, but they are recipes for when I have more time and a little more cash in my budget for ingredients. I deemed this one "do-able" when compiling my meal plan last week. I'm getting so sick of my cookbooks, I was ready to use something different. But I'll be posting on my cookbooks one day soon. Tonight, I'm talking about this awesome pasta!

I will say that it was absolutely delicious. Everyone loved it, even the kids. And it's green, so that's a pretty big accomplishment. It is a little involved for a Monday night dinner. I had the oven (for toasting pine nuts and roasting potatoes), the stovetop, and food processor going. Nothing tricky here, it was just a lot going on while the baby was tugging on my pant legs and crying for dinner. Also, my four year old was "helping" (and consuming large amounts of pine nuts). About half way through the preparation she announced, "This is too fancy! We have to pretend it's a restaurant. Lights out!" So, we ended up having this dinner by candlelight. My husband arrived late for dinner to a dark house and rounded the corner to the kitchen to find his ladies shoving this yummy pesto pasta into our faces around the glow of one candle.

Here's how it went: I began by toasting 1/4 cup of pine nuts for the pesto until they took on some color and were fragrant. I set them aside to cool and then...

I rubbed about 10 oz. of new potatoes with olive oil and salt and pepper and put them into the oven to roast for about 35 minutes.


While the potatoes roasted, I combined the basil, garlic, and toasted pine nuts in my food processor to make the pesto.


Pulse until the basil is chopped. Speaking of basil, it's a little pricey for this amount. I am so looking forward to this Summer when I can grow and harvest my own for recipes like this.


Add in the cheese and pulse to combine.


Now, with the food processor running, pour in the olive oil until the mixture reaches the consistency of mayonnaise. Salt and pepper to taste.


And presto...it's pesto!


Let's clean and snap our green beans.


Cook them in a pot of salted water until tender. Scoop them out with a skimmer and rinse under cold water. Save the cooking water for your pasta!


Remove the potatoes from the oven and cut them into bite sized pieces.


Toss them into 2 tablespoons of heated oil and cook em' until they get a little crispy.


Add the beans to the potatoes and cook until heated through.


Return the green bean water to a boil and drop in the fresh pasta for a couple of minutes until cooked.




Add the pesto to the potatoes and beans and stir to combine.


While the pasta cooks, I grate some Parmiggiano-Reggiano to sprinkle on top of the finished dish. Set aside.


Toss the pasta well with the pesto and veggies and top with grated cheese. I wish you all could just smell and taste this right now! Wow!


And since it was a "fancy dinner" we HAD to have dessert. I thawed some of the leftover Chocolate Lava Cakes that I froze from our Valentine's Day dinner. I warmed them in the microwave (they re-heated beautifully) and to add insult to injury I frosted them with some Hershey's chocolate frosting. Truly decadent.


Pasta with Green Beans, Potatoes, and Pesto from Williams Sonoma

For the pesto
1/4 cup (2 oz/60 g) pine nuts or walnuts
2 cups (3 oz/90 g) tightly packed fresh basil leaves
2 or 3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup (1 oz/30 g) grated pecorino sardo or Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, or as needed
salt and ground pepper to taste

8 new potatoes, 9-10 oz (280-315 g) total weight
4 tablespoons (2 fl oz/60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
salt and ground pepper to taste
1/2 lb. (250 g) green beans, trimmed and cut into l-l 14-inch (2.5—4-cm) lengths
1 lb. (500 g) fresh tagliarini or fettuccine
1/4 cup (1 oz/30 g) grated pecorino sardo or Parmesan cheese

To make the pesto, preheat an oven to 35O°F (18o°C). Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and toast until they take on color and are fragrant, 5-8 minutes. Let cool. Leave the oven set at 35o°F (18o°C). In a food processor, combine the nuts, basil, and garlic. Pulse until the basil is chopped. Add the cheese and pulse to combine. With the motor running, pour in the 1/2 cup (4 fl 02/125 ml) oil, a few drops at a time, until the mixture has the consistency of mayonnaise, adding more oil as needed. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.

Rub the new potatoes with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Place in a baking dish and roast, shaking the dish from time to time, until tender when pierced, about 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot three-fourths full of salted water to a boil. Add the beans and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Scoop out with a skimmer, cool under running water, and drain.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and cut into bite-sized pieces. In a large saute pan over high heat, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the potatoes and saute until golden, about 4 minutes. Add the beans and stir until heated through, about 1 minute. Keep warm.

Meanwhile, return the large pot of water to a boil. Drop in the pasta, stir well, and cook until al dente (tender, but firm to the bite), about 2 minutes. Drain, reserving a few tablespoons of the cooking water. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl.

Stir the pesto and the reserved water into the vegetables in the pan (off the heat). Add to the pasta and toss well. Pass the cheese at the table.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS PER SERVING: Calories 894 (Kilojoules 3,755); Protein 24 g; Carbohydrates 82 g; Total Fat 56 g; Saturated Fat 10 g; Cholesterol 92 mg; Sodium 654 mg; Dietary Fiber 7 g

WW points per serving: I don't wanna talk about it.

How to Make Your Man Love You More: Philly Cheese Mac

When I saw this recipe on Cinnamon, Spice & Everything Nice, I knew that my husband would absolutely love it. This recipe, originally featured in Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book combines two of his favorite meals: pasta and Philly cheese steak. I couldn't go wrong. Have you heard the saying, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach"? If that's really the case, then this recipe is a Cupid's arrow bulls-eye straight to the old ticker. So good!

After a week away from my kitchen, my home, and my calendar I still can't seem to get "it" together. I think I mentioned this dilemma yesterday (the day that I was supposed to make this Philly Cheese Mac). As I was sitting at the table trying to get organized this morning, my daughter ran at me, waving a piece of paper over her head. "Mom! Look! An invitation! An invitation! Read it to me." It was indeed an invitation. There are twins in her preschool class and we were invited to celebrate their birthday at Bouncing World (or whatever it's called). When? I looked closer at the invite. What was that?! Today? Yep. Today. The invite had been put into my daughter's book bag the week before, but had fallen to the bottom. Since we were out of town for the week, I hadn't taken the time to go through her papers yet. Oops. I made a quick call to the twin's mom and confirmed that we would be there. There was no way I could turn down my lovely daughter. She'd been looking forward to this party for weeks. The party was from 4-6 and they were serving pizza and cake. No need for Philly Cheese Mac now, right? Wrong. I promised ya'll Philly Cheese Mac and that's what you'll get. Plus, I knew my dear husband would return from work while we were gone and I thought that it'd be nice to have dinner ready for him. He's spent the last two weeks expensing dinners out and living on room service. Poor baby. So, after nearly two weeks away on business, it's time he had a home cooked meal.

Then the knife guy showed up. I'd forgotten that I scheduled a sharpening while at the Home Show last week. I've had my Cutco knives since I sold them as a requirement for a sales and marketing class in my junior year of college. I'll age myself here...that's 11 years. I still love them. I'm not even sure that they've been sharpened before. They still work great. Even 11 years dull. Adrian, the Cutco guy came out and sharpened them completely free of charge and...he didn't even try to sell me a thing. Awesome! He did suggest that I send my knives away next year to be re-bladed (or something like that), which is also FREE. And he did show me a really great new knife that is going on my wish list, but other than that he just made my knives sharp again. I was fully prepared to sit through a presentation at the expense of my sharp knives. Nope. No need. No pressure. This made me almost as happy as my super sharp knives. Yay for Cutco!


Once Adrian departed and while the baby napped, I dove into the preparation of Philly Cheese Mac. I decided to cut the recipe in half a)because most of us wouldn't be around for dinner and b) because I really didn't want leftovers of this mouth-watering stuff hanging around to sabotage my Spring break diet. Usually I know how many calories, how much dietary fiber, and how many grams of fat per serving are in the meals that I prepare. I don't even wanna know with this one! I began by slicing an onion. My newly sharpened chef knife slid through it like butter.


I heated a couple of tablespoons of oil in a skillet and tossed that onion in to caramelize.


While the onion caramelizes, prepare the pasta. Because I cut this recipe in half, I only used 1/2 lb. of pasta.


Aren't these little Cavatappi noodles cute? Just like little piggy tails.


Toss them into a pot of salted boiling water and cook according to the package directions.


Now that the onions are on their way to carmelization and those pasta piggy tails are boiling away, cut up a package of Steak Umms. Or in my case, half of a package of Steak Umm's.


Caramelizing the onions is a must. It brings a delicious savory sweetness to them. These need a little longer. I like mine just a deeper brown. However, I'm running out of time before the party.


So, I go ahead and throw in my Steak Umms and a little broth. Cook and stir until those Steak Umms are no longer pink.


While the Steak Umms brown you can pull yourself away for a moment to drain the cooked pasta and...


start the cheese sauce. Just melt butter in a sauce pan and whisk in the flour.


Once smooth, add your milk and cook and stir until bubbly and slightly thickened. Add some salt and pepper too.


Now for the cheese. Go ahead and stir in the provolone and the Swiss cheese until melted.


Stir the cheese sauce into the onion-Steak Umm's mixture. I stopped here to salt and pepper to taste.


Stir in the pasta.



Transfer everything to a casserole dish.


Top with some more cheese. I used more Provolone and a little Monterrey Jack. I also threw on some chopped parsley.


I put mine under the broiler until the cheese was melted and bubbly.


Just look at that!


No. Wait a minute. Look closer. Mmmm. Just...Mmmmm.


Ready to dig in? No, none for me, thanks. Remember? I'm off to eat pizza and birthday cake at Bounce World. Okay, maybe I'll have a taste...or two...or a few bowls. Nope, I put this amazing concoction into the refrigerator...with instructions, of course. Then I headed out the door.



Philly Cheesesteak Mac and Cheese adapted from Rachael Ray

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound cavatappi-shaped pasta
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded provolone
1 cup shredded Swiss
1/2 cup broth (chicken, beef, vegetable)
1 pkg Steak Umms slices, roughly chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped

Preparation
Place a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring it to a boil.
Once the water boils, cook the cavatappi to al dente according to package directions. Once the pasta has finished cooking, drain it and return it to the pot it was cooked in.
While the pasta is cooking, place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add the onions to the pan and top them with a lid or piece of aluminum foil for 2-3 minutes, just to get them cooking. Remove the lid or aluminum foil and continue cooking the onions until tender and lightly caramelized, 8-10 minutes.

While the onions are caramelizing, melt the butter over medium-high heat in a medium-size pot. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter and cook the mixture for about 1 minute. Whisk the milk into the butter-flour mixture slowly and bring up to a bubble to thicken. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the shredded cheese. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and reserve.
To the skillet with the onions, add the broth and the Steak Umms. Cook until the meat is no longer pink.
Add the cheese sauce and the onion-beef mixture to the pot with the drained pasta and toss everything to combine. Transfer to a casserole dish. Top with additional cheese and parsley. Broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly.