'Ken easy pasta sauce

[PostModern]

This stuff is 'ken easy to make. I cooked up a batch today coz the Mrs and kids are away visiting the out-laws.

Notes

This is a super easy pasta sauce for new cooks, those short on time and blokes "baching it".

Ingredients

1 medium can of tuna (get a good brand)
1 medium sized brown or white onion
200-300g of mushrooms, sliced
1 can tomato puree
garlic to taste (lots is good, esp if you're home alone )
tomato paste
pasta of choice
some herbs, oregano, basil, parsley, whatever you like or have on hand.
olive oil
salt
pepper
chilli (opt)

Method

Generally I like my pasta sauces simmered for a while to combine the flavours, but this is a bachelors' dish, so you can be a little rough.

Start a big pot of water to boil for the pasta. While this is going on, peel and slice the onion into thin rings, peel and chop the garlic and open the can of tomato and a beer. Proceed to drink the beer while cooking.

Put a small pot on medium heat and add a good dash of Olive Oil to the pot. Once you think it's hot enough to sizzle the onion rings, toss them in, along with the garlic. Stir about for a while while sipping the beer and watching for the pasta water to boil.

Once the onions soften, add the sliced mushrooms and chuck in the tuna and stir about until you think the fish is all warm or hot. Meanwhile, if the pasta water is boiling vigorously, throw in your preferred pasta, a teaspoon of salt and a dash of olive oil. Don't add the salt before the water boils if you have stainless steel cookware, as it may cause pitting. (PostMod's handy tip #32). You can now toss the canned tomato and some tomato paste into the sauce. About a desertspoonful or three of paste should do. Throw in your herbs, mix like mad and let the sauce bubble as madly as it wants until the pasta is cooked. Stir it every now and again.

When the pasta is "al dente", turn off its heat, drain the pasta, pour a good splash of olive oil on it and toss it about in the colander for a bit, then return most of the pasta back to the cooking pot. Pour the sauce over the pasta and mix it about. If the sauce/pasta ratio is too high, add some more of the pasta you reserved in the colander until it looks about right. Toss some in a bowl, add some grated cheese, chopped chillis and some ground pepper (all optional).

Done.

A meal in almost exactly the time it takes to cook pasta.

Comments

This dish is obviously quite flexible, you could use Spanish Onions if you prefer them, no or more garlic, add other veges, asparagus would go nicely if it's in season, omit the tuna, add anchovies, capers, or green pepper corns... whatever you like. Tomato makes everything taste good.

Bon Appétit.

[Tori Lee]

Pasta sauce with tuna....mmmmm, interesting. I'll definitely have to try it.

Thanks for sharing, PostModern.