Tuna & Pasta Alfredo

Two words that best describe this dish: COMFORT FOOD! Growing up, I always loved those easy summer days of tuna salad, so when the flavor of tuna is combined with soft pasta and creamy alfredo, a big bowl of comfort is the result! This recipe, from the BH&G 30 minute meal cookbook, is quick and easy to make and produces about 6 servings.

Ingredients
3 cups dried mini lasagna, broken mafalda, or medium noodles (I used penne.)
1 Tbsp butter or margarine
2 cups chopped broccoli rabe or broccoli
1 medium red sweet pepper, chopped (I'm using up bottled red sweet pepper from a previous recipe.)
1 10-oz. container refrigerated Alfredo pasta sauce (I bought a 15 oz. jar in the pasta sauce section.)
2 tsp snipped fresh dillweed (Or 1 tsp dried.)
1-2 Tbsp milk (Optional. I excluded this since I had extra Alfredo sauce.)
1 9.5 oz can tuna (water-packed), drained and broken into chunks (I used two 5-oz. cans.)
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted (optional)


Instructions
1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain well. Return pasta to hot pan. Cover and keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add broccoli rabe or broccoli and sweet pepper; cook until tender. Stir in Alfredo sauce and dillweed. If necessary, stir in enough of the milk to make sauce of desired consistency. Gently stir cooked pasta and tuna into broccoli mixture. Heat through.

3. To serve, if desired, sprinkle with almonds.

My tuna alfredo was accompanied by a spinach salad with our homemade balsamic vinaigrette, mushrooms, and cracker crumbles as well as a piece of garlic parmesan toast with olive oil and basil.

National Iced Tea Day
Did you know that June 10th was National Iced Tea Day? Yeah, I didn't either until I found out on Twitter that evening. I couldn't miss out on this opportunity to reconnect with my Southern roots, so I whipped out my iced tea maker and brewed some up!

Water quality makes a big difference! If you make your own ice, use filtered water!

Since it was late in the evening, I made decaf black and Refresh peppermint tea. I only made 1 liter, so I used 3 black and 3 Refresh tea bags with 2 Tbsp of sugar. It was the perfect proportion of black tea, peppermint flavor, and light sweetness.