TUNA & BELL PEPPERS PASTA

When Petsa de Peligro is waving and our freezer and pantry are almost empty (I make sure that every mid-month pantry and freezer are clear for new stocks), I always serve pasta dishes. They're simple, classic, and economical (much more so if you make your own pasta, which I do when I'm in the mood). You only need a few ingredients, and if you cook them right (the pasta noodles), you are in for a sweet treat. It's like having restaurant pasta at home. 

Ingredients: 

1 garlic head, minced 

1 white onion, minced

2 red bell pepper, cut into strips

1 180g can tuna in oil

salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp parsley flakes

celery, chopped

500 grams of cooked pasta 

Instructions: 

How to cook the pasta noodles (fresh/ dried)

Fill a big pot with water and bring to a boil. Add salt generously (2-3 tbsp salt) then add dried/fresh pasta. Stir to keep the pasta from sticking together. Let it boil again and cook for 1 minute less than the package direction. Please note: fresh pasta cooks faster (2-3 minutes) Check for doneness. You have two options here. 

1. Strain (reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water to be used later) and cool briefly but do not rinse. Rinsing wash away the starch that helps the sauce to stick to the pasta. Drizzle with Olive oil and mix until combined then add to the cooked sauce.

2. No need to strain. Just use a kitchen tong to transfer the pasta noodles (pasta water dripped into the sauce as you do this so, you just need to add maybe a few tbsps of pasta water) to the saucepan directly. 

Drizzle with olive oil then mix to combine. 

At this point, the pasta may look like a bit watery. You need to trust the process.  

Cooking the sauce:

Heat oil then sauté garlic and onion for about 1-2 minutes. Add bell peppers, canned tuna, and chopped celery. mix until well combined then cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the cooked pasta. Mix to combine then season with salt, ground black pepper, and parsley flakes. Mix again then topped it with quickmelt cheese. Cover the pasta and turn off the stove. Let it rest while the noodles continue to cook and absorb the sauce. Then serve. 

Note: Pasta sauce should be the one waiting for the pasta noodles, not the other way around.