I've been experimenting with cumin lately and find that it pairs well with meaty and oily fish like tuna. Not only does it give the fish a depth of flavor, cumin is also known to be extremely beneficial for your health. Among others, cumin aids in digestion, improves your immunity and has been found to aid in the treatment of asthma, insomnia, respiratory disorders, bronchitis, the common cold and even cancer. Here is my take on tuna penne with a Mexican twist - consume with a pitcher of margarita for best effect!
Recipe serves 6 - 8 people. Prep time 10 minutes, total cook time 20 minutes.
INGREDIENTS
500g packet of penne pasta
2 cans of tuna in water
3 bunches of coriander, chopped
2 large capsicums
3 chili padi
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons chili flakes
1 tablespoon fish sauce
Salt & pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. Boil pasta in a large pan, add salt and olive oil into the water.
2. In a large pan, stir fry the garlic and onion until brown in olive oil on medium heat.
3. Once garlic and onions are brown, add capsicum, chili padi and tuna with half the portion of the cumin, chili powder, chili flakes and fish sauce.
4. Mash the tuna into really fine pieces, so that it will coat the pasta once added.
5. Add pasta and still well with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Add the remaining cumin, chili powder, chili flakes and fish sauce and stir well until pasta is coated with a layer of the tuna sauce.
7. Add half of the coriander and stir well.
8. Turn up the heat and add the butter. Stir well until pasta is shiny and coated.
9. Top the dish with the remaining coriander and serve warm.
ALY'S COOKING TIPS
1. It is important to build up and layer the flavors when cooking. This is done by slowly adding spices in each step of the cooking process.
2. Mash the tuna finely until it becomes a tuna sauce. This helps coat the penne pasta inside and out with the sauce.
3. This recipe works well with shell pasta as well, which will allow it to scoop up all the delicious sauce in every bite! Perfect for easy eating at parties!
4. For a vegetarian alternative, use meaty vegetables such as chopped mushrooms or tofu as a substitute for the tuna.