Sweet Pepper and Tomato Tuna

SWEET PEPPER AND TOMATO TUNA

Delicious and versatile, fish has the added advantage of being generally healthy for our bodies. It’s low in saturated fat, one of the types that contributes to heart disease, and some varieties are high in omega-3 fatty acids, a kind of fat that studies show may have anti-inflammatory and heart-healthy benefits. Adding omega-3-rich fish to an otherwise balanced diet that includes a variety of fruits and vegetables and whole grains is a great way to add new flavours while eating as healthy as possible.

Sustainably fished wild albacore is caught when it’s smaller, and thus is lower in mercury. The best-flavoured canned tuna is packed in olive oil, but it can be hard to find. If you can only find wild-caught tuna packed in water, simply add more oil to the pan for this recipe.

Sweet Pepper and Tomato Tuna Recipe

Total Time

25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2–1 pound boxed thin spaghetti or linguini (optional)
• 12 ounces wild-caught canned tuna (ideally packed in olive oil)
• 2–4 tbsps. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced (or about 2 tbsps.)
• 2–3 sweet mini bell peppers, chopped
• 1 can organic diced tomatoes, with juice
• 2–3 tbsps. Castelvatrano olives, pitted and chopped
• 1 tsp capers, drained
• 1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Heat a 10-inch skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Drain the oil from the tuna can into the pan. Add another 2–3 tbsps. olive oil so that the oil is about 1/4 of an inch deep.
3. When oil is hot, add the chopped sweet bell peppers to the pan. Stir occasionally about 3–4 minutes, until softened. Turn the heat to low and add the garlic. Stir for about a minute. Do not let the garlic burn.
4. Add tomatoes with juice to pan. Add the tuna to pan, breaking it into small chunks. Add the olives and capers to pan. Mix gently and turn heat to medium-high and cook until the tomatoes give off some liquid, about 5 minutes. Taste and add pepper if desired.
5. If using pasta, add cooked pasta to sauce and gently toss. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired.

Nutritional Information

(per serving, without pasta): 305 calories, 20 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 644 mg sodium, 5 g carbohydrate, 1 g fibre, 25 g protein, 1 mg calcium