Ingredients

  • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees with grill setting on
  • 425-gram tuna in olive oil- remove some of the olive oil but leave a good teaspoon or two in there for flavour
  • 1 heaped tablespoon minced ginger (yes, it’s a lot but go hard here, it’s the secret weapon of the dish and a nod to my grandma so do it – she’s probably watching you)
  • ½ tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 cup pitted black kalamata olives
  • 2 cups baby spinach or silverbeet chopped (I always use silverbeet with the stems removed because it’s always in my vegetable garden)
  • 6 cup mushrooms sliced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cans of good quality low salt diced tomatoes + any soggy tomato you have lying in your fridge – this is the time to use it and avoid wasting food! Do it!
  • 1 packet of pasta cooked according to packet instructions (I often use a wholegrain pasta)
  • 2 cups grated cheese – I use cheddar and/or mozzarella– use them both in a mix if you want, go wild!

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in a pot on medium heat and add ginger and garlic and brown for 2 minutes
  2. Add the tuna and fry off for 4-5 minutes
  3. Add canned tomato and all the vegetables (including any soggy tomatoes lying around)
  4. Allow the sauce to gently simmer for 15-20 minutes so everything is softened
  5. Season with salt and pepper as desired (I use pepper only)
  6. Meanwhile prepare pasta according to packet instructions and when the sauce is done add the pasta to the sauce (with a bit of pasta water if needed for consistency of the sauce) and stir to combine
  7. Transfer to an oven dish and sprinkle the cheese over (be generous friends)
  8. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the cheese on top is golden

Both of my kids love this meal

And since I shared this recipe on Instagram in one of the first lockdowns people have told me it’s on their regular meal plan roster.