Tuna and Asparagus Aioli

This is a super easy recipe to do. I made this the other night after coming from work. This literally takes less than 30 minutes to pull off and very healthy to boot.

You will need:

1 can Century Tuna Flakes in Oil (202 can, that's the tall can), drained
Spaghetti pasta, cooked in boiling salted water just shy of al dente
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Clove of garlic, minced
2 diced tomatoes
Pinch or two of anchovy fillets
Baby asparagus spears, sliced
Fresh basil leaves, torn



1. While the pasta is cooking, saute garlic in olive oil (do not brown).
2. Add tomatoes to the pan.
3. Add the asparagus to the boiling pasta, 30 seconds before you drain it.
4. Drain the pasta and asparagus.
5. Immediately add the pasta to the hot pan with olive oil, garlic and tomato. Toss.
6. Add the Century Tuna and basil leaves and toss gently.

Enjoy!

Penne with Prawns

I initially planned on just frying some prawns that I bought from the market. But I saw some tinned tomatoes lurking in the pantry and opted to make a pasta dish instead. Hubby was at a supermarket for his daily office lunch with his colleagues and I wrangled him into buying some bell peppers and fresh basil leaves for my pasta
dish.

This is very easy and fast to make with just the most basic of ingredients.

Penne with Prawns

Dried Penne, cooked according to package directions
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3-4 Cloves of garlic, chopped
1 Large onion, chopped
1 Can diced tomatoes
1 Can crushed tomatoes
Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional but highly recommended)
1 Bunch basil leaves, torn
1/4 kilo of prawns, peeled
1 Green bell pepper, cubed
salt and pepper to taste
Queso de Bola (Edam cheese), cubed (don't scrimp!)

Saute garlic and onions in olive oil until soft, do not brown. Add the tinned tomatoes, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Simmer until the tomatoes are a bit dark, about ten minutes. Add half of the basil leaves.

Add peeled prawns and diced bell pepper to the tomato sauce. Cook for 2-3 minutes, just until the prawns are cooked. Add the pasta, the rest of the basil leaves
and cubed queso de bola. Toss well to coat. The sauce will thicken a bit when the queso de bola is melted.


(OK, it looks like I had too much sauce here in this picture, I eventually added more pasta and loads more queso de bola to it)

Serve piping hot, best eaten with a loved one.

Enjoy and say ahhh...yummm......

Bow Tie Pasta with Grilled Veggies

For dinner tonight, I made this very simple dish. It's easy and quick. Anyone can make it and it's very healthy too.

Bow Tie Pasta with Grilled Veggies

1 Green Bell pepper, cubed
1 Yellow bell pepper, cubed
1 Eggplant, cubed
Basil leaves, torn
3-5 Cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 Onion, chopped
2-3 Anchovy fillets
1 Can crushed tomatoes
1 Tablespoon capers, washed
5 Black olives, sliced into rings
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Grated Parmesan cheese
Bow Tie Pasta, cooked per package directions



1. Place bell peppers, eggplant and some torn basil in a medium bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place vegetables in a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake at 350 until skins are slightly blackened. Remove from oven and toss with some more olive oil. Set aside.
2. In a separate pan, saute onions in olive oil until slightly wilted. Add garlic and anchovy fillets and saute for another minute. Do not brown the garlic.
3. Add the crushed tomatoes. Simmer. When bubbly, add capers, olives and the grilled vegetables. Simmer until the vegetables are warmed through. Adjust seasoning. Add torn basil at the last minute of cooking.
4. Add the bow tie pasta to the pan and toss to coat well.
5. Transfer to a serving plate. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese on top.

This recipe would be great with zucchini and Shitake mushrooms too. They weren't available in my neighborhood grocery so I didn't include them in this recipe. It would have made this dish a bit richer.

Don't worry about the anchovy fillets, they won't leave a fishy after taste.
The fillets will melt beautifully in the sauce and will provide just the right hint of saltiness, a mystery ingredient that most people cannot discern.