Jiffy Fish

by abbamoses

Today, Lazarus Saturday, was the first “fish day” this Lent, and there was no way we were going to miss out on some fish. But it was also a busy day, with services all morning, Vespers in the evening, and various preparations for Palm Sunday in between.

So we ended up eating this very easy but very tasty pasta-and-tuna dish. You can easily put the whole thing together in the time it takes to cook the pasta.

Quick and Simple Pasta and Tuna.

Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. When it’s ready, cook 1/2 pound of your favorite pasta. We used penne, but macaroni or any other favorite shape will do.

Meanwhile, in a nonstick skillet, heat:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • Several cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 1/4 tsp (or more) red pepper flakes

Once the garlic starts to simmer, turn the heat down to low, and keep an eye on it: burnt garlic does not taste good. The garlic should end up just lightly browned.

Thaw about 1 cup frozen peas in the microwave.

When the pasta is cooked, drain it. In a serving bowl, toss it with the olive oil mixture.
Add the frozen peas and 1 1o-oz. can of chunk light tuna, drained. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

It’s good hot, and if you have leftovers they make a good salad right out of the fridge.

Simple as this is, it’s actually a complication of an Arthur Schwartz recipe. He just tosses together the cooked pasta, the tuna, the olive oil, the pepper flakes and some salt and pepper. The only cooking required is the for the pasta.