Alice Henneman, MS, RDN, UNL Extension in Lancaster County
Here's a quick and easy meal combo from kitchen staples. It includes grains, protein and vegetables (you get quite a bit of tomato when it's made into pasta sauce!). Use the individual ingredients in amounts normally consumed by your family when making pasta with tomato sauce.
- Pasta (Use whatever shape is in your cupboard; try a whole grain pasta)
- Tomato-based pasta sauce (Use the size of container you normally would for the amount of pasta being prepared)
- Canned tuna (Use the can size you'd typically serve for one meal)
- Optional add-ins/toppings: chopped olives, capers and/or chopped parsley (allow about 1/2 tablespoon per serving, or as desired for these ingredients)
- Grated parmesan cheese (optional)
- Prepare pasta according to package directions.
- While pasta is cooking, drain tuna and heat with pasta sauce in a sauce pan.
- Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.
- If desired, stir olives and/or capers into pasta sauce.
- Mix pasta thoroughly with sauce. Add reserved cooking water as needed to moisten the mixture. If using parsley, add to pasta along with the sauce. Or sprinkle parsley on top of the pasta when it is served.
- If desired, top pasta with grated parmesan cheese.
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