Tuna Pasta with Olives, Capers & Tomatoes

This is a great weekend dish- really healthy, light, and super quick to make. The only ingredient that’s actually cooked is the pasta.

Chop and prep the remaining ingredients so they’re ready to go as soon as the pasta is drained so the they are warmed up and ready for serving. It’s still good, but just not the same if you wait and mix it all together when the pasta is cold.  If you have a large family, double the batch. If you don’t have tuna, you can use salmon and it would be just as good.

Tuna Pasta with Olives, Capers & Tomatoes

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound organic spaghetti

1- 1/2 to 2 cups extra virgin olive oil, or as desired

1/2 cup Sicilian capers

1 cup pitted Kalamata olives

2 five-ounce cans white albacore tuna or salmon, drained of all water

1/4 cup minced fresh garlic (about 8 cloves)

1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half (or other red tomatoes, diced)

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Drain the pasta of all water then immediately place a metal or stainless steel bowl under the strainer/colander.  Add a generous drizzle of olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking. The bowl underneath should collect some of the olive oil, which you can use if there isn’t any water in the bowl.

To the bottom of a larger serving bowl, add 1 cup of the olive oil. Add about 1/3 of the cooked noodles to the bowl. Add the capers, olives, tuna and garlic and mix into the pasta. Add a little more oil, as desired, then another third of the noodles. Next add the parsley, tomatoes and pepper. Add the rest of the noodles and mix to combine completely. Top with crushed red pepper flakes and Parmesan, if desired.

Bismillah and Buon Appetito!