Cooking for One on a Tuesday

I have exactly five days left working in the valley.  Here, I'm supposed to jab your ribs and wink and tell you, "not that I'm counting down or anything!"  I'm totally counting down.  But when you can count the days on one hand, it's really not that difficult.

These are lovely days, filled with late arrivals, minimal amounts of actual work that needs accomplishment, extended lunches, multiple beverage breaks, and early departures.  I left at 4pm today and headed over to the pool for a swim.  I would've followed my workout with a leisurely nap in the steam room but it's closed for repairs until tomorrow afternoon. I hope that date is accurate as I plan to repeat my afternoon tomorrow and would like the steam to happen this time.

As working out has become somewhat of a rarity for me lately (I swear that is due for a change), I was starving when I got home and craving the nourishment that is needed to make it through two episodes of Gossip Girl.  Cooked up one of my favorite weekday meals.  It covers all the food groups, is low in fat, can be prepared in under 20 minutes, and most importantly, it's delicious.  It needs to be shared.  Before I do that, I will warn you though, it contains canned tuna, tuna in olive oil at that, which I know might cause some a bit of fear.  You have to trust me on this one and know that I wouldn't put it out there if I didn't fully back it up.  So:  Tuesday Tuna Pasta.  Try it -- you'll like it.

Ingredients

• 1 can tuna in olive oil (you can get pricier cans at the grocery, but the Trader Joe's version is like $1.50/can and tastes lovely) 
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped in coarse pieces
• A generous handful of fresh broccoli, chopped into small pieces
• Extra olive oil 
• Fresh parm cheese
• To season:  salt and pepper and then either some red pepper flakes or about 1 Tblsp of dijon mustard  

So -- put enough olive oil in the pan to coat it thinly.  If you like the idea of mustard, whisk that into the oil.  Bring to medium heat.  Toss in the red pepper and broccoli; when it's been going for about 5 minutes, bring your pasta water to a boil.  When the veggies are getting tender, add in the salt and pepper, the red pepper (if you're doing that instead of the mustard) and the tuna (add the oil, too).  Use a wooden spoon to break up the tuna.  You're pasta water should be ready -- add in your pasta (I use cappelini) -- and while it's cooking turn the heat down on your toppings to low to keep it hot while your pasta finishes.  Strain it, add the veggies/tuna, and top w/ some parm.