For those of you who knows us, you will know we LOVE pasta!! It is such a versatile dish, which can be combined with anything! So we really wanted to come up with a recipe that is easy, tasty and relatively healthy. It is super quick; it takes only 20-25 minutes from start to finish!

We wanted something that every parent could cook for an evening meal, without having to stress about pre-prepping or having to spend ages in the kitchen. This can also be cooked with the kids in the kitchen, or a baby around (we know, we have done it!).

We thought; what would everyone normally have in their cupboards or fridges? So by having a perusal in our kitchen we found that we always seem to have; a tin of tuna, a jar of pesto, Philadelphia and tomatoes in the fridge. So what we absolutely love of this recipe is that we created it by simply opening cans and jars. The most difficult part is chopping the tomatoes!

This dish really is super easy and it is a perfect match of healthy and indulgent. It has healthy elements to it, with the Tomatoes (plenty of Vitamins such as Vitamin A, B, C, E and K) and Tuna (with Omega 3 and Vitamin D). But also some “naughty” elements with the Pesto and Philadelphia (or cream cheese). So it is great for kiddies and adults!

It is our go-to dish for dinner during then week, when we have little time (or simply cannot be asked) to put together a meal for the whole family. You can also adapt it to your own taste; you don’t like tuna? Take it out and have it as a Pesto and Tomatoes sauce. You don’t like tomatoes? Ditto!

Or why not try adding ingredients? We have done it with some chopped Spinach too, which you can cook with the Tomatoes. But we thought to just keep the recipe basic for now, so you can all figure out how best it works for you.

You could also try to substitute the Tuna with Salmon or another canned fish, though we’ve never tried it… so if you do decide to experiment, we would love to hear how you altered it and how it turned out!

We hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do!

Ingredients – Makes enough for 2 Adults, 1 child and 1 toddler

Prep time – 10 minutes

Cooking time – 15 minutes

• 1 can of Tuna, in spring water
• 1/2 Jar of Pesto sauce
• A dash of Passata sauce
• About 12 Cherry tomatoes (you can add more or less, depending on how much you like tomatoes)
• 2 tsps Philadelphia (or cream cheese)
• 220gr of Fusilli or Penne pasta (you can choose any pasta you want really)
• Olive Oil (for cooking)

Method

1. Fill a medium pan with water, with enough water to cover the pasta. Turn on a hob to high heat and put on the pan to boil the water.

2. While you wait for the water to boil, chop up the Cherry Tomatoes in quarters. Put a large sauce pan on low heat and drizzle with the Olive Oil, then add the Tomatoes. Leave these to cook on low heat, stirring occasionally. You want them to soften and release all their juices.

3. When the water is boiling, add the Pasta and turn the heat down to medium, stirring occasionally. Ensure to cook the pasta for the required cooking time. You want it to be nicely al dente and not be overcooked. Taste the Pasta when the cooking time is up, to make sure it is done to your liking.

4. While the Pasta is cooking, you want to make your Sauce. Wait until the Tomatoes have softened (about 5-6 minutes). Then add the Pesto, Philadelphia and Passata sauce to the tomatoes. Mix together slowly until it has blended nicely together.

5. With the Sauce made, the Pasta should be almost done. Open the can of Tuna and with a fork empty it slowly out in to the Sauce pan, ensuring you separate the chunks of Tuna and that it is spread evenly. Then mix in with the Sauce, keeping the hob on low heat.

6. Your Pasta should now be cooked! Drain the Pasta through a sieve, then add to the Sauce pan, stirring slowly over a low heat. You want to make sure the Pasta is evenly covered with all the Sauce.

7. Presto pronto! Your Pasta is ready to eat. Dish out whilst still hot and eat straight away. You want to avoid re-heating this as the Sauce will go dry otherwise.

There you go; a very quick and easy meal for all the family!

You can of course alter the portions or measurements to suit your needs. Remember, a recipe is always good to use as a guideline to create something perfect just for you and your family.

So have fun, try it out and see what else you can come up with. Buon Appetito!

As always, we welcome all feedback and suggestions. Please contact us if you have any questions. We hope you enjoy this recipe!