- Use spring or regular onion instead of the leek, if you prefer.
- Use any pasta shape you fancy – penne, fusilli or bow tie pasta would all be delicious!
Buddy’s tuna pasta
With tomatoes, leeks & fresh chilli
25 mins
Super easy
serves 2
About the recipe
A delicious family meal that’s easy to put together and makes the most of store-cupboard heroes.
Ingredients
1 leek
optional: ½ a fresh red chilli
1 clove of garlic
1 x 400g tin of quality plum tomatoes
1 x 80g tin of tuna in spring water, from sustainable sources
130g dried spaghetti
2 sprigs of fresh basil
Parmesan cheese, to serve
Top Tip
Double batch the sauce to stash in the freezer for future meals.
Method
- Halve, wash and finely slice the white part of the leek (save the green leafy part for making stock or soup). Halve, deseed and finely chop the chilli (if using), and peel and finely chop the garlic.
- Place a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat with ½ a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the chopped veg to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened, stirring regularly.
- Scrunch in the tomatoes (or break them up with a wooden spoon). Quarter-fill the tin with water, swirl it around to pick up the last bits of tomato and pour it into the pan.
- Drain and flake in the tuna, then add a pinch of black pepper and a tiny pinch of sea salt. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and leave to simmer, stirring regularly, while you cook your pasta.
- Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions, then drain, reserving a mugful of the starchy cooking water.
- Add the pasta to the sauce, pour in a little of the reserved pasta water to help the sauce stick, then stir well over the heat.
- Use tongs to divide the pasta between your bowls. Pick and finely slice the basil leaves, then scatter over the top, and serve with a good grating of Parmesan cheese.
Jamie wholeheartedly believes that cooking is up there as one of the most valuable skills you can teach a child.
Getting kids excited about food, where it comes from and how to cook it, gives them a better chance of being healthier and happier in the long run. When cooking with kids, use your common sense to determine what jobs they can help you with, depending on their age and skill level.
It’s always good to start small, with jobs such as mixing and measuring, then progress to elements of a recipe, and then go on to slightly trickier techniques over time. The more they cook, the better they’ll get.
Make sure you supervise them when using heat or sharp utensils like knives and box graters, and teach them about the importance of washing their hands before they start, and after handling raw meat and fish, as well as other basic hygiene rules. Most of all, have fun with it, and encourage them to give things a go. Note that a child’s portion size will differ depending on their age, gender and physical activity levels.
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