Pasta with Tuna, Lemon, & Peas

Who likes one dish meals they can make using mostly pantry ingredients in 20 minutes or less?  Me too!  This meal is exactly that.  A while back I pinned this recipe because I try to serve fish once a week but my husband is not the biggest fan.  Also, while I love fish, I don't really love cooking it.  Add to that the fact that it is such an expensive protein (especially my favorite varieties) and it is hard to fit it into our diets even though I know how good it is for us.

That is why this recipe is so perfect.  It uses canned tuna so I always have it on hand and since it is already cooked it is super quick.  Add in some frozen peas and fresh lemon and parmesan for both tang and salt and you have a delicious and easy complete meal on the table in no time at all.

Start out by boiling some water for your pasta.  I used the Barilla white fiber because I love how quickly it cooks up.   In the short time it takes your pasta to cook, the sauce will be ready.

When your water is almost boiling, add some olive oil and minced garlic to a pan over low heat (I was out of fresh garlic so I used a frozen garlic cube from TJ's).  After about a minute add in your tuna (oil packed) and some frozen peas using a spoon to break it all up and mix it together.  Remember that your tuna is cooked so you are just heating everything up.

When the pasta is ready, drain it and add it to the pan with your tuna and peas.  Add in a generous amount of parmesan (as usual I used the TJs Parmesan & Romano blend), the juice of a lemon, and a little bit of butter cut up into small pieces so it will melt quickly.  Stir it all together and once the butter is melted your dinner is ready.  You could also add some red pepper flakes here to add a little spice but we like it as is.

I love this meal because it has the comfort food quality of a tuna noodle casserole, but all in a few minutes without turning on the oven or dirtying a casserole dish.  So there you have it, fish for dinner in a few minutes, with a few ingredients.

Pasta with Tuna, Lemon, & Peas

• 6 oz. Barilla white fiber pasta (half a box)
• 2 tbls. olive oil
• 1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 2 cans tuna packed in olive oil
• 1 cup frozen peas
• juice of 1 lemon
• 3/4 cup grated parmesan, (the fresh kind, not the shelf stable)
• 2 tbls. butter, cut into small pieces

1. Cook the pasta according to package instructions.
2. Meanwhile, in a large pan heat olive oil over low heat.  Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
3. Add in tuna and peas, stirring occasionally, and continue to cook over low for about 5 minutes or until heated through.
4. Add drained pasta to tuna mixture and then stir in parmesan, lemon juice, and butter.

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