Tonight was the first time I've ever heard the tornado sirens go off in Chicago in 7 years. Serious storms rolled through right after work and dropped inches of rain, brought heavy winds and threatened both hail and tornadoes for a few hours. With no basement, we hung out in the stairwell and listened to the wailing sirens...and thinking about dinner. Nope, not going to grill the steaks I had planned in the lightning factory.
Instead, I mixed up a batch of tuna pasta and peas, the second batch of which we've eaten in as many weeks. I grew up making this salad on hot summer nights, that humid season when having no air conditioning means the oven and stove are off-limits. Simple, with a few twists.
Garlic Parmesan Bread on the side, a rare unhealthy recipe from mom. Oooh, but good. Recipes after the jump.
Tuna Pasta and Peas
2 cups dry pasta
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 scant cup peas (I use frozen, then thawed)
1 can tuna
3/4 cup light mayo
Cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente; drain and rinse to speed cooling
Meanwhile, mix onion and vinegar in a large boil; let sit 5 minutes (this slightly pickles the onions and takes away a lot of the sharper bite).
Add peas, tuna and mayo (start with 1/2 a cup, then add more as needed); season to taste. Better if chilled for 1 hour or more.
Parmesan Garlic Bread
1/2 loaf french bread
1/4 cup low-fat mayo (sure, regular would be better, but you don't need to waste the calories here. Use them on the cheese!)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (actually I've been using parmigiana reggiano, cause that's all I had. I might like fake Parmesan more)
1 tsp garlic powder (yep, better than fresh garlic here. the taste we're going for is nostalgia)
Preheat broiler. Mix remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Cut bread in half horizontally and broil until toasted. Spread with the mixture and broil until browned and bubbling. Slice and serve.
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