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Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Pappardelle with tuna and cream

If you read fashion magazines then you'll know all about the 'trans-seasonal piece'. This is an item of clothing that will, apparently, protect you from the vagaries of changing weather patterns while still managing to keep you in vogue (though not necessarily in Vogue, if you know what I mean).

A lot less is said about the equally important trans-seasonal meal, which should lift you out of the food rut you've been in all season and hint at the changes to come, while still respecting the needs of the moment.

Pappardelle Pasta With Lemon And Cream

Pappardelle with tuna and cream
Tinned tuna is very unfashionable these days but if you can find a sustainably caught brand I think it's possible to dish it up without a side of guilt. Cream is probably a bit passe too, in some circles, but I don't give a hoot. This is a great dinner for the middle seasons of spring and autumn, managing to be comforting and fresh in one go.

1 cup/250ml cream
1 packed cup of fresh parsley, leaves only, finely chopped
1 cup finely diced celery
a good pinch of salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp good olive oil
finely grated zest and juice of a lemon
2 x 185g tins good quality tuna in oil
Pappardelle - enough for four

Put all ingredients, except the pasta, in a bowl and stir together gently. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper or lemon juice as needed.
Cook the pasta in well-salted water until al dente, drain well, then toss half the sauce through it. Divide between pasta bowls and spoon the remaining sauce on top. Serves four.



8 comments:

  1. this looks beautiful... even if it will soon become SO last season....

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  2. Ha, love the fashion analogy - I feel stuck in winter still even though the spring is shouting out for me to play. Home made pasta?

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    1. Alas, no - the pasta machine is still languishing in the cupboard after its last outing. But the intention is there!

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  3. Excellent! Always looking for easy but tasty pasta recipes. Cream is definitely making a comeback - it's on the list of things to eat for a health & vitality programme that the other half is doing at work (not that it was ever off my list).

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    1. Really?! That's the best news I've had all week. What else is on the list?

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    2. Butter and chocolate (70%+) yeah! The programme is mainly about going sugar free for a month which is not appealing to me as I love baking (and I have an aversion to any sort of diet) so no moral support for him then? Anyway, I made your tuna pasta the day after I saw it here, substituting creme fraiche as I didn't have cream, and replacing the parsley with dill. It was so easy and we both loved it. Thank you.

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  4. This is just my kind of meal! Come on, what is not to like here...

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Hello - thanks for stopping by. If this was real life I'd make you a cup of tea and open the biscuit tin, but in lieu of those things, let's have a chat anyway...