Rotini with Tuna and Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Tapenade

My pantry is getting pretty full. I tend to do that. I will buy sauces or marinades or jars of delicious concoctions, and they will sit in my cabinets while I keep buying more and more things. That has to stop, my cabinet is way too full, and my grocery bill is still way too high. That is how this dish came about. I was looking for something to throw together based on what I had on hand. You will probably be seeing a lot more of these dishes, because I have a lot of great ingredients just sitting in my cabinet waiting to be used. I made this delicious pasta dish from a few ingredients I had in my pantry, and few ingredients I had in my fridge.

Now, I have stated before how much I love Trader Joe's grocery store, and I had a jar of their Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Tapenade (see picture below), so I decided to base a meal around that. I also had some Tomato Pesto tuna (see picture below) and some fresh tomatoes and basil. I made a sauce from those ingredients and served it over whole wheat pasta. It's a very healthy dish that comes together quickly if you have all the ingredients on hand. Now, I know this recipe calls for some specialized ingredients, and if you don't live near a Trader Joe's, you could probably use some roasted red peppers and some marinated artichokes in place of the tapenade. But hopefully you do live near a Trader Joe's because it is a wonderful grocery store.


Rotini with Tuna and Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Tapenade
serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1-10 oz jar Trader Joe's Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Tapenade
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1-4 oz pouch of Starkist Tomato Pesto flavored tuna
• 10 oz. whole wheat rotini
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

Directions

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to directions on the box, however, make sure the pasta is al dente because we will finish cooking the pasta in the sauce.
• While the pasta is boiling make the sauce. Add the olive oil to a pan that has been heated to medium-high, toss in the onions and cook until the onions are soft, but not browned, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute a few more minutes until the garlic is fragrant. Be sure not to burn the garlic, as it will turn bitter.
• Once the onions and garlic are cooked, add the tapenade, tomatoes, chicken broth, and tuna. Cook until the sauce is simmering and everything is heated through.
• Drain the pasta and add to the sauce, toss everything together and simmer for a few minutes until the pasta has absorbed some of the sauce.
  
• Season to taste with salt and pepper. I only needed to add pepper because the tuna, tapenade, and chicken broth all contained salt.
  
• Divide amongst four bowls and top with fresh basil. Serve immediately.
  

Picture from Fun with Jane and Dick