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Quick Pasta with Broccoli Rabe, Tuna, Olives & Slow Roasted Tomatoes

January 24, 2016 by Mary 16 Comments

Quick Pasta with Broccoli Rabe, Tuna, olives and slow roasted tomatoes in a white bowl.So once again on a weeknight this past week, we got home from work late, starving, and of course wanted to eat something super quick. I had planned on a meatless dinner and yet again, my husband protested. (Does yours, all you women out there?) I acquiesced with a small can of tuna here, which is how I came to make this Quick Pasta with Broccoli Rabe, Tuna, Olives & Slow Roasted Tomatoes dish. It was delicious!!

Additionally, we were supposed to have a dinner party this week and I was going to serve this Spicy Beef Ragout but one of the guests messed up on the date and we had to reschedule, and I had already bought everything for the dinner. So I went ahead and made the stew and froze it. (It will be better! :)) But the roasted Roma tomatoes would not wait 2 weeks and I didn’t think would freeze very well. So the day before this dinner below, I slow roasted those tomatoes anyway, not really knowing how I would use them. They are so easy to make and super delicious!! You just need the time for the two hours. Slow roasting makes them super sweet and totally yummy! You’ll really want to eat them with anything so I knew it wouldn’t be a problem.

I threw this dish together in literally 30 minutes and it was terrific!! My husband even talked about it the next morning and you know it’s really great when they’re still remembering it at breakfast.

A quick minute in the microwave revives the tomatoes and rather than chopping and mixing them in, which I considered, I thought it was much more elegant to just position them on the side, so you could decide to have a bite with or without them. Much nicer.

At any rate, this whole combination is super satisfying, quick, easy and full of flavor. Using the same pot of water to blanch the broccoli rabe (which removes the bitterness) and cook the pasta in is the real time saver. I hope you’ll try it and maybe always keep some slow roasted tomatoes on hand. I’m thinking I should do that. Serve with LOVE and enjoy!!

QUICK PASTA WITH BROCCOLI RABE, TUNA, OLIVES & SLOW ROASTED TOMATOES – serves 4

½ lb. spaghetti
1 large bunch of broccoli rabe, stalk ends trimmed, chopped in 1” pieces, washed in a water bath
1 Tbs. coarse sea salt
5 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
3 Tbs. olive oil, plus 1 more Tbs. for finishing
1 5 oz. can white Albacore tuna, packed in water and drained
¼ cup pitted Kalamata olives, drained and chopped
2 Tbs. fresh grated Romano cheese
8 – 9 slow roasted Roma tomatoes
1 Tbs. olive oil
Thyme leaves from 4 sprigs of thyme

Roma tomatoes on the pan, ready to roast.TO MAKE THE ROASTED ROMA TOMATOES: DO THIS THE DAY BEFORE. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Pile tomatoes on top, add 1 tablespoon of the oil, season with salt and pepper and toss. Add leaves from 4 sprigs of the thyme, toss again. Spread the tomatoes in a single layer on the foil-lined baking sheet, skin side down. Roast on the top shelf in the oven at 300 degrees for 2 hours. Let cool and store in a closed container in the refrigerator.

In a large pasta pot, place the washed broccoli rabe. Fill the pot with water to be at least 2 inches above the broccoli rabe. Add in the salt and stir to combine. Place the pot on high heat.

Meanwhile, warm the 3 Tbs. olive oil in a large skillet on low heat, (large enough to hold the broccoli rabe and pasta too), add the garlic and stir. Do not let it brown.

When small bubbles appear around the edges of the pot with the broccoli rabe, remove the rabe with a slotted spoon into a colander over a bowl and let drain. Let the water in the pot come back to a full boil. When that happens, add the pasta and cook for 3 minutes less than the lower number on the package directions.

Quick Pasta with Broccoli Rabe, Tuna, olives and slow roasted tomatoes - rabe and tuna in skillet.While the pasta is cooking, (be sure to stir every once in a while), put the broccoli rabe in the skillet with the garlic. Cook a bit more, and toss. Add the tuna, flaking it as you stir.

Quick Pasta with Broccoli Rabe, Tuna, olives and slow roasted tomatoes - pasta and rabe in a skillet.When the pasta is near the end of cooking, take a large coffee mug and scoop out some pasta water. Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet with the tuna and broccoli rabe, stirring with tongs to combine. Add about ¼ cup of pasta water and the grated Romano cheese to make a loose sauce. Stir and taste until the pasta is done. Stir in the black olives to combine and finish with a drizzle of a tablespoon more of olive oil.

Taste to your liking with more salt or more cheese and some fresh ground black pepper.

Warm the tomatoes in the microwave for a minute or two. Serve the pasta in warmed bowls, with the tomatoes on the side as pictured above.

A complete meal in a dish and so delicious!!

We just had the leftovers for lunch today – still yummy!

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Filed Under: Dinner, Fish Tagged With: broccoli rabe, quick pasta, quick weeknight dinner, slow roasted tomatoes, tuna in pasta

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Comments

  1. Jovina Coughlin says

    January 25, 2016 at 7:39 AM

    What a great combination. This pasta looks so good.
    Jovina Coughlin recently posted…Cooking the Italian Provinces – CampobassoMy Profile

    Reply
  2. ChgoJohn says

    January 25, 2016 at 9:14 AM

    Love using rapini with pasta, usually orecchiette, and sausage. Your dish, using tuna, olives, and roasted tomatoes sounds like very good. I will definitely make this. Thanks!
    ChgoJohn recently posted…Mom’s Strawberry-Banana PieMy Profile

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  3. marcie says

    January 25, 2016 at 3:48 PM

    I love this rustic pasta dish — all of the ingredients are so wonderful! Roasted tomatoes add so much flavor!
    marcie recently posted…Trail Mix Breakfast CookiesMy Profile

    Reply
  4. Amy @ Frugale.org says

    January 25, 2016 at 5:41 PM

    My Grandmother used to make a similar dish for the Holidays and Special Occasions, Always Great!
    Amy @ Frugale.org recently posted…Tenderloin With Marsala (Filetto al marsala)My Profile

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  5. wok with ray says

    January 25, 2016 at 10:07 PM

    I like that hearty and healthful pasta dish you got there, Mary. Love the addition of tuna as it made it hearty. Thank you and have a good week! 🙂
    wok with ray recently posted…Hot Chili OilMy Profile

    Reply
  6. Ginger says

    January 26, 2016 at 12:18 PM

    I love your roast tomatoes – I can only imagine how wonderful they would have tasted on the finished dish!
    Oh yes, and I know all about the meatless man challenge. I’m getting it from two children, too 😉
    Ginger recently posted…Beetroot and Goat’s Cheese Tarte FlambéeMy Profile

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  7. John/Kitchen Riffs says

    January 26, 2016 at 8:54 PM

    I love greens in pasta! This is my kind of dish — easy to make, even easier to eat. Terrific flavor combo — thanks.
    John/Kitchen Riffs recently posted…Slow Cooker Homestyle ChiliMy Profile

    Reply
  8. Bam's Kitchen says

    January 26, 2016 at 11:34 PM

    This pasta dish has so much freshness and delicious flavors going on in it. Love broccoli rabe but so rare here so might exchange with a little guilan- Chinese broccoli. Now you have me craving a huge bowl of this.
    Bam’s Kitchen recently posted…Velvety Vegan Chocolate MousseMy Profile

    Reply
  9. Amira says

    January 26, 2016 at 11:42 PM

    What a nice meal this is!! Colorful and easy to make.
    Amira recently posted…Easy aubergine saladMy Profile

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  10. Raymund says

    January 27, 2016 at 1:52 PM

    Nice and simple, this is what a pasta dish should be. Love it
    Raymund recently posted…Krisa Coffee Shop (Bangkok, Thailand)My Profile

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  11. Susan says

    January 27, 2016 at 3:15 PM

    Looks delicious!
    Susan recently posted…Vegan Pizza for #MeatlessMondayMy Profile

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  12. Angie@Angie's Recipes says

    January 28, 2016 at 10:45 AM

    Absolutely delightful! I love the combo of flavour.
    Angie@Angie’s Recipes recently posted…Gluten Free Poppy Kale LoafMy Profile

    Reply
  13. Eva @ Eva Bakes says

    January 28, 2016 at 11:25 AM

    This looks like the perfect weekday meal!
    Eva @ Eva Bakes recently posted…Chunky apple cake with salted caramel sauceMy Profile

    Reply
  14. Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says

    January 28, 2016 at 11:35 AM

    My husband rarely protests… mostly because he learned a long time ago that it won’t get him anywhere! 😉 I guess I got lucky that he actually learns. lol. LOVE this pasta! So much healthy and delicious goodness going on in here! Plus I love that it’s quick and easy! Cheers!
    Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary recently posted…Ginger Chicken Meatballs in Miso Broth {with Bok Choy}My Profile

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  15. http://youngwritersstudio.org says

    January 29, 2016 at 6:29 AM

    That is a wonderful quick recipe of super delicious and healthy pasta! I really loved the idea with roasted tomatoes! Yummy!
    http://youngwritersstudio.org recently posted…Columbia College Chicago Young Authors Writing Competition — Youngwritersstudio.orgMy Profile

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  16. Loretta says

    January 29, 2016 at 9:26 AM

    Love this hearty and healthy dish. All the ingredients I love. Thanks for the idea, I’m always trying to come up with some meatless options, and I think this one definitely does it. I love broccoli rabe, and all those other ingredients is sure to be pleasing to the palate 🙂
    Loretta recently posted…Goan Curried Fish StewMy Profile

    Reply

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