Here’s an easy one for quick-lunchers everywhere. And you’ve probably got these ingredients in your kitchen already!
Canned stuff can actually be pretty awesome sometimes:
- One 4-oz can of tuna, in water or olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil, if you are using tuna canned in water
- 2/3 cup canned crushed, chopped, or puréed tomatoes
- 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped as you like
- Salt and roasted red pepper flakes, to taste
- Your favorite pasta (I often eat this plain, as in the picture, but my mom usually serves it over fettuccine)
The first step is to add the tuna and garlic to a pan. I prefer to do this with Italian tuna, which is packed in olive oil, because I think it tastes better. If you’re using tuna in water, you’ll need to drain the tuna before you start cooking, and add the olive oil to the pan as well. If you’re using tuna in olive oil, you can just use the oil from the can.
Cook the tuna and the garlic on low heat for about 3 minutes, and stir periodically (you may hear some popping sounds; keep the tuna moving around). Next, add the tomatoes, and continue to cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add your basil, salt, and red pepper flakes, and remove the pan from the heat. Pour the sauce over your pasta, or eat it straight. Serves one grad student in a mad rush to somewhere very important.
PhD Kitchen 