Tuna Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Parmesan

Tuna pasta dish made with fresh tomatoes, tuna, basil, and parmesan.  Perfect for a fast weeknight meal.  Ready in 20 minutes!

Tuna Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Parmesan

Back-to-school time can be the busiest time of year.  Rather than picking up fast food, why not pick up a few ingredients for a fast meal you can make at home?  I like to keep an assortment of produce and pantry staples around so I can mix it up and make lots of different variations.  This combination of Bumble Bee Premium Albacore Tuna, fresh tomatoes, parmesan, and basil is perfect for a weeknight meal that cooks up and serves up quickly.

Bumble Bee Albacore is a great source of nutrients, including lean protein, healthy fats, plus vitamins and minerals.  If you’re a tuna fan, check out Bumblebee on Twitter and Pinterest for more recipe ideas.

You might have noticed that I use cavatappi (also known as cellentani) pasta in this dish.  I picked this particular pasta because I enjoy how it’s easy to get that perfect al dente texture when I cook it.  However, you can substitute any of your favorite pastas in this recipe.  I’ve made it with bow ties and angel hair pasta and it came out just fine.

I also used a medley of different small tomatoes to give this dish some extra color dimension.  You can use quartered cherry tomatoes, halved grape tomatoes, or any mixture of tomatoes that have been cut to approximately the same size.  You could even toss in some extra veggies, like chopped sundried tomatoes, a few kalamata olives, or a few wilted greens like spinach, arugula, or escarole.  Don’t be afraid to experiment!  That’s what cooking is all about.

You can top this with any kind of parmesan, but for a real treat, use freshly grated.  And don’t forget to garnish with lots of fresh basil just before serving!

5 from 1 vote

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Tuna Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Parmesan

Tuna pasta dish made with fresh tomatoes, tuna, basil, and parmesan. Perfect for a fast weeknight meal. Ready in 20 minutes!

Course Main

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 4

Author Katie Moseman

Ingredients

• Salt
• 3 cups cavatappi pasta cellentani
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon wine optional
• 12 oz fresh cherry tomatoes quartered (halved grape tomatoes may be substituted)
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 oz fresh basil chopped

Instructions

1. Add water to a pot, then add in enough salt to make the water taste like saltwater. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions for al dente pasta.
2. While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil and butter in a skillet on medium low until bubbling. Add the wine (if using) and whisk together. Let the mixture bubble for a minute or until slightly thickened.
3. Add the tuna and stir to coat. Toss in the tomatoes and stir to warm, but do not cook further. Remove from heat. Drain the pasta and add the pasta to the skillet. Toss the pasta, tuna, and tomatoes together, then divide into serving bowls.
4. Top each portion with 1 tablespoon of grated parmesan and equal sprinkles of basil. Serve immediately.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.