Sunday, January 31, 2010

Whole Wheat Linguine with Tuna, Spinach, Lemon, and Breadcrumbs

Here is a quick pasta dinner that we enjoyed a few weeks ago.
I saw it in an issue of Everyday Food Magazine and knew it would be quick and easy, which makes getting dinner on the table a little bit easier.

I changed a couple of things in this recipe. I used whole wheat linguine instead of normal spaghetti. I usually try to use whole wheat pasta whenever we have pasta dishes just to get some extra nutrition and whole grains into our meals. No one in my family can tell the difference between whole wheat and "normal" pasta. This isn't a picky food for us.
I used black olives instead of kalamata olives simply because I already had them in my pantry and my family likes the taste of black olives better than any other olive.
I also used albacore tuna.
I decided to wilt some spinach and add it to this dish because I wanted it to have some vegetables.

The fresh breadcrumbs and lemon flavor in this pasta really make it a winner. Everyone here really enjoyed it.
I saved the leftover breadcrumbs in a little baggie and then re-used them when I reheated the pasta that was leftover.

I also included the link to the recipe in its original form, in case making it that way sounds more appealing to you.




Whole Wheat Linguine with Tuna, Spinach, Lemon, and Breadcrumbs adapted from Everyday Food Magazine
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 2 slices whole-wheat sandwich bread
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 3/4 pound whole wheat linguine
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest, plus 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 3 tablespoons sliced black olives
  • 2 cans (6 ounces each) albacore tuna in water, drained
  • 5 or 6 oz bag spinach
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse bread and 1 teaspoon oil until coarse crumbs form. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Bake until golden, tossing occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes.
  2. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Steam spinach in microwave or on stovetop. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta, and return to pot. Add lemon zest and juice, parsley, olives, and 1 tablespoon oil; toss, adding enough pasta water to coat. Add tuna; toss gently. Stir in wilted spinach. Serve sprinkled with breadcrumbs.
Recipe for Spaghetti with Tuna, Lemon, and Breadcrumbs

7 comments:

Joanne said...

I use whole wheat pasta all the time as well! My father claims it tastes different but I bet if we did a blinded taste test he wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

What a fabulous pasta recipe! So simple and delicious.

Maria said...

We love whole wheat pasta, made some last night. I love this dish!

Unknown said...

I've begun substituting whole wheat pasta for regular too - there are some really good ones out now! This looks like another great meal from Everyday Food - love that magazine.

~~louise~~ said...

Now doesn't that look just yummy, Mary Ann. I love the way you "changed a couple of things." All goodies. I'm always on the look-out for whole wheat pasta recipes that are oh so tempting.

Thanks for sharing...

Cathy said...

This looks great! I am always looking for quick and easy pasta dishes for weeknights, and this looks like one we'd all enjoy. I'm with you on the WW pasta - such an easy way to make a healthy change!

Leslie said...

This does look delicious! I always use WW pasta, and we prefer it because it has a nicer flavor (or maybe we've brainwashed ourselves...yeah, could be.)

Anne said...

This dish looks so yummy! The picture is cute and I can't wait to try it. Yum! :)