This recipe for Lemon pepper Tuna Pasta with White Wine Sauce, Capers and Dill is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of StarKist Tuna Creations®. The opinions and text are all mine. #TearEatGo
One of the things I miss the most about working outside of the home is going out for lunch. I enjoyed trying new restaurants and diners away from the routine ones near my home, new places that I otherwise may not have tried. It was always like a new adventure or discovery. I often came back from my lunch breaks feeling excited and full, with a new energy that comes with breaking up the monotony of the workday.
One of my favorite meals during those years was at little Italian restaurant that was family owned, and they served the most delectable food. When I eat out I tend to order food that I wouldn’t normally make at home. I like to try new dishes to inspire me, and this particular day I had ordered a meal consisting of chicken and pasta in an amazing white wine sauce with capers. It was perfectly seasoned, tangy and the flavors just melted so perfectly in my mouth. Although this meal was with pasta, it was also light and didn’t leave me feeling overly full or heavy. It was the perfect light lunch that left me feeling satisfied, and I returned to work daydreaming about that meal.
Now that my days are spent working from home, I have to make a conscious effort to take breaks and eat before I’m famished. It’s easy to fall into a routine where I get so focused on work until I’m starving, and then grab a muffin or chips to munch on. Instead, I try to be diligent and create meals that are quick and easy. Meals that will leave me satisfied and give me the fuel I need for the remainder of the day.
Prior to starting a food blog, I had been steadily losing weight for about a year. At the time, I was eating more lean proteins and incorporating more fresh vegetables into my meals, in addition to doing physical activity like working out or even daily walks. I’m trying to get back to those habit’s I built back then, as I’d actually lost quite a bit of weight and physically I felt so good. Tuna was one of my favorite things to add to snacks and meals for it’s nutritional value and how well it complements such a wide variety of foods and flavors.
That’s why I was so excited to find out about StarKist Tuna Creations, and all of the amazing flavors that are available. These little packets are full of protein, low on calories, and there’s no draining required. You can literally open a pouch and grab a fork for a flavorful protein break. They’re also so easy to create a quick meal with, and the different flavor options really are inspiring.
For this recipe I used the StarKist Tuna Creations Lemon Pepper Flavor, but there are also a line of StarKist Tuna BOLD Creations in the following flavors:
- Thai Chili Style
- Jalapeno
- Sriracha
- Hot Buffalo Style
- Tapatio with Lime
- with Rice and Beans in Hot Sauce
…and many other flavor varieties listed on the StarKist site. I chose Lemon Pepper because it’s one of my favorite seasonings to use, and I wanted to create a super quick recipe that I could make when I’m short on time. I also wanted something restaurant quality, reminiscent of that amazing meal I had at that Italian restaurant years ago, and this meal was definitely a winner.
Coming together in just under ten minutes, this is the perfect meal for lunch or even a light dinner. Boil some pasta while creating the white wine sauce, then mix it all in together at the end. I purposely made this meal “light” all around, as it has less seasonings than most of my recipes, and I used angel hair pasta for a more delicate touch.
I really loved how the tuna was already seasoned and I was able to just mix it in at the end before plating and serving. The day I first made this meal, it was a little later in the day and the kids had just come home from school. They saw what I was making and how heavenly that white wine sauce smelled, and demanded some for themselves –and loved it!
Tuna and pasta is synonymous with “convenience food”, but this meal satisfied my desire for that restaurant taste mid-day, without even having to leave my house. It truly is convenient as far as time spent, but so much better!
- 1-2 servings angel hair pasta
- 2 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- ⅓ cup chicken broth
- juice of ½ a lemon
- 1 tablespoon capers
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup water from cooked noodles
- 1 package StarKist Tuna Creations® Lemon Pepper
- fresh dill (for garnish)
- fresh Italian parsley (for garnish)
- lemon wedge
- fresh ground pepper
- Begin by filling a medium pot with water, adding salt and olive oil (optional), before bringing to a boil.
- Add the angel hair pasta to the water, and allow to boil uncovered for until al dente (about 3-4 minutes)
- While the pasta is boiling, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic and saute until fragrant (about 1-2 minutes), then add the wine. Continue to simmer until the wine has reduced by half (about 3 minutes), stirring occasionally.
- Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, capers and red pepper flakes, and continue to simmer until the capers and flakes have softened (about 2 minutes).
- Add the water from the boiled noodles and another tablespoon of butter, stir until combined and the butter has melted, then remove from heat.
- Scoop the pasta into the sauce, shaking off any excess moisture before adding to the pan, then stir in the contents of the StarKist Lemon Pepper Tuna Creations package.
- Serve on a plate with lemon wedges, fresh chopped dill and some ground pepper. Garnish with addition dill and parsley.
- Enjoy!
Which StarKist flavor are you most eager to try?
Learn more about StarKist Tuna Creations pouches and their wide range of flavors, as well as additional recipe options at starkist.com.
Also, if you love this recipe don’t forget to PIN it to your favorite board on Pinterest!
(Just hover over the picture below and click “Pin it”)
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of StarKist.
