This is a beyond satisfying way to eat while simultaneously keeping your budget in check. With the pantry ingredients costing so little, while also supplying huge flavor, it's a BIG winner. My kids and husband devoured it! Oh, and I did too!
250 g onions chopped (about 2 c.)
3 T olive oil
16 g garlic chopped
1 kg tomatoes navel out & roughly chopped
3 T red pesto sauce
2 T tomato paste
35 g anchovies + the oil (about all of 1 tin)
55 ml white wine
290 g diced zucchini (1 whole)
30 g parsley chopped (softer stems finely chopped too)
2 cans of tuna in oil-drained
s&p
1/2 of a lemon zested & juiced.
First prep all your ingredients. Then, in a high-sided pan on medium heat with the oil, cook your onions for 10 minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally. Lower your heat if the onions begin to brown too much. Add the garlic & parsley stems and cook for another 5 minutes. Now, add your tomato paste, anchovies & oil and red pesto, stir for 1 minute until they are dissolve into the sauce. Deglaze the pan with the wine and stir for a couple of minutes. Add the tomatoes, and s&p. Stir it well and cover back up with the lid. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the canned tuna and cook another 10-15 minutes. Check and mix occasionally.
Make sure your pasta water is boiling, because once you throw the zucchini in, they will only need 5-10 minutes to cook through depending on how small of a dice you cut them in. So, you may need to place your pasta of choice in the water at the same time or even earlier than the zucchini depending on your choice of pasta. You can also finish the sauce and turn it off. Then later, cook the pasta and reheat the sauce. NO BIGGIE! Here, we LOVE riso or orzo pasta because then the kids eat it all in one bite, instead of picking out the pasta from the veggies in the dish.
You want the zucchini to be fully cooked, not al dente so, keep the kid on after the zucchini gets tossed and mixed around every few minutes to ensure even cooking. Lastly add the lemon zest, juice & chopped parsley. Serve sauce atop your pasta with love! Eat like a beast and feel the joy!