Although no one ever complains about being served pasta, this is one of my family’s favourite dishes. The lemon makes it zingy and fresh-tasting, while the cheese and pasta are comforting. It tastes just as good cold on a hot day. Best of all, it uses cheap-ish cupboard staples (and a little tuna goes a long way).
It’s also really easy to change and still get the loveliness of the courgette and lemon combo:
Want a veggie version that still contains protein? Substitute the tuna for haricot beans.
Don’t have tarragon? Use fresh flat-leaf parsley, oregano or basil instead (but add them at the end rather than halfway).
Need to make it for a kiddie-wink? Skip the capers and go for a low-salt mozzarella.
One final note about the mozzarella. I’ve used buffalo mozzarella because it’s bloody amazing, but I realise it isn’t cheap unless you live in Italy (where I get for 3 euros a bag at the local market. I know, don’t hate me). Ordinary mozzarella will work absolutely fine, and it’s lower in salt, too. But if you want to go for the good stuff, go for the buffalo…
Want a veggie version that still contains protein? Substitute the tuna for haricot beans.
Don’t have tarragon? Use fresh flat-leaf parsley, oregano or basil instead (but add them at the end rather than halfway).
Need to make it for a kiddie-wink? Skip the capers and go for a low-salt mozzarella.
One final note about the mozzarella. I’ve used buffalo mozzarella because it’s bloody amazing, but I realise it isn’t cheap unless you live in Italy (where I get for 3 euros a bag at the local market. I know, don’t hate me). Ordinary mozzarella will work absolutely fine, and it’s lower in salt, too. But if you want to go for the good stuff, go for the buffalo…
|
|
Lemon & herb Pasta with Courgette, Tuna & Mozzarella
Serves: 4
Pots/pans to be washed up afterwards: 2
Prep time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 12 mins (or however long your packet of pasta says)
Ingredients
250 g whole-wheat pasta (such as fusili or farfalle)
zest of one organic lemon (use juice of ½ lemon if not organic instead)
1 80g tin of tuna
1 ball of buffalo mozzarella, chopped into chunks
2 small courgettes, grated
pinch of dried tarragon
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
optional: 2 heaped teaspoons of capers, finely chopped
olive oil
black pepper
sea salt
Pots/pans to be washed up afterwards: 2
Prep time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 12 mins (or however long your packet of pasta says)
Ingredients
250 g whole-wheat pasta (such as fusili or farfalle)
zest of one organic lemon (use juice of ½ lemon if not organic instead)
1 80g tin of tuna
1 ball of buffalo mozzarella, chopped into chunks
2 small courgettes, grated
pinch of dried tarragon
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
optional: 2 heaped teaspoons of capers, finely chopped
olive oil
black pepper
sea salt
1. Put the pasta on to boil. When it’s about five minutes from being done, make your sauce:
2. In a large frying pan, fry the garlic and lemon zest in olive oil for a minute on a medium heat (don’t let it go brown).
3. Turn up the heat and add the grated courgettes and tarragon. Go easy on the tarragon - it can overpower everything else if you add too much. Season with black pepper and a pinch of salt, and fry for a couple of minutes.
4. Take the pan off the heat and add the capers (if using), fresh herbs (if using) and tuna.
5. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce in the frying pan. Stir well so that everything is evenly heated and coated in oil.
6. Add the mozzarella chunks, just mixing them in as quickly and lightly as possible so they stay soft and gooey (as opposed to stringy and chewy. Especially important if you’ve forked out for nice mozzarella).
2. In a large frying pan, fry the garlic and lemon zest in olive oil for a minute on a medium heat (don’t let it go brown).
3. Turn up the heat and add the grated courgettes and tarragon. Go easy on the tarragon - it can overpower everything else if you add too much. Season with black pepper and a pinch of salt, and fry for a couple of minutes.
4. Take the pan off the heat and add the capers (if using), fresh herbs (if using) and tuna.
5. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce in the frying pan. Stir well so that everything is evenly heated and coated in oil.
6. Add the mozzarella chunks, just mixing them in as quickly and lightly as possible so they stay soft and gooey (as opposed to stringy and chewy. Especially important if you’ve forked out for nice mozzarella).
Herby, lemony goodness. A tavola!
Come say hello:
