Really looking forward to cooking for an awesome group this Saturday. A few months back I was asked by my good friend Versell Smith, director of the Corner Health, if I would donate an Al Dente Pasta Dinner for their auction. The Corner Health is one of the many amazing organizations that make the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area so special, so of course I said, yes! Well, the time has come. Molly Resnik, a true pillar of the Ann Arbor community, won the dinner. They will be celebrating her husband John’s, birthday at our home.
I’ve decided to make some of my tried and true recipes. Pasta with Tuna, Spinach and Capers, inspired by the one and only Kasey Passen, is always a winner. She is also the one who turned me on to Tonnino Tuna!
It Starts With These Ingredients
Ingredients
12 oz. Al Dente Basil Fettuccine (Or any Al Dente Pasta)
1 or 2 jars of tuna, packed in oil (I use Tonnino)
3 cloves of garlic, minced fine
10 oz. baby spinach (or more)
3 Tbsp. capers
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 lemon, juice and zest
1 tsp. Coarse kosher salt
Directions
Drain oil from tuna into large skillet. Add garlic and heat on low for 2 minutes. Add tuna, spinach, capers and salt to skillet heating gently. In the meantime, cook Al Dente pasta for 3 minutes in a large pot of boiling, salted water. Before draining the pasta, ladle ⅓ cup of cooking water to skillet tossing to wilt the spinach. Add pasta to skillet. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, then parmesan.
Other delicious pastabilities: add olives, fresh tomatoes or sundried tomatoes. You get the idea!
It was great having Jules Crespy at my house to help put this expert touch on this dish. Jules is the chef at The Wayland, one of the coolest cocktail bars in NYC!
Click here for a printable version of our Pasta with Tuna, Capers and Lemon.
I’ll also be making Al Dente Pasta with Shrimp and Tomatoes and Al Dente Wild Mushroom Pasta with Mushrooms and Red Bell Pepper. All of the Recipes are true Pasta Crowd Pleasers!
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