Spaghetti with Tuna and Lemon

I've always been a fan of tuna and pasta, well, I should say I've been a fan for my adult life.  When I was younger both of my parents were each building new businesses so there were many years where money was tight.  Once a week or so my Mom would make tuna casserole, you know, the kind with cream of mushroom soup?  It always smelled great but left much to be desired.  Honestly, I don't know if any one of us liked it, but it fed the whole family for very little which was the goal.  Since those days, I've discovered that by using simple clean ingredients, tuna with pasta can be a dish to serve not only your family but to guests as well.  The great thing about this dish is most of the ingredients are pantry staples, it's a cheap meal that can feed a lot, and it can be on the table in about 20 minutes.



Spaghetti with Tuna and Lemon
I've been eating mostly gluten-free this year so I like to use Tinkyada pasta. Their pastas are made with brown rice, don't get mushy like other brands, and tastes just like regular pasta.

1 pound whole wheat or brown rice spaghetti
2 cans albacore tuna in olive oil (I prefer Trader Joes)
zest of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic
1/4 c. parsley
1/8 teaspoon red chile pepper
juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse sea salt (if using fine ground salt only use 1 teaspoon)

Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in large stock pot. Add pasta and cook until al dente. While pasta is cooking, sauté tuna over medium heat on large 12" skillet. When tuna is hot add lemon zest, garlic, chile pepper and parsley. Stir for about one minute until fragrant. Remove from heat.

When pasta is done dip a small cup into cooking water to reserve about 1/2 cup of water. Drain well. (If using rice pasta then make sure and rinse the pasta with cold water so it doesn't get mushy.) Add pasta to tuna mixture and add lemon juice, reserved pasta water, and salt. Toss well. Serve immediately.