Linguine and Tuna with Spicy Orange Sauce

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Prep Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
30 mins
Servings:
4

Orange zest, Dijon mustard, and fiery red pepper liven up two cupboard essentials: canned tuna and whole-wheat pasta.

Ingredients

  • Coarse salt

  • 8 ounces whole-wheat linguine

  • 1 ½ teaspoons grated orange zest

  • ¾ cup fresh orange juice (from 2 to 3 oranges)

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

  • 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for garnish

  • 1 large bunch watercress (about 3 cups), tough ends trimmed, washed and well-dried

  • 2 cans tuna (6 ounces each), packed in oil and drained

Directions

  1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain.

  2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together orange zest, juice, oil, vinegar, mustard, and red-pepper flakes; season with salt. Add watercress and pasta, toss to combine. Scatter tuna over the top and sprinkle with red-pepper flakes if desired; serve.

Cook's Notes

Look for West Coast hook-and-line or troll-caught albacore tuna (available at many natural-foods stores). The fish tend to be smaller and contain less mercury and more omega-3 "good" fats than the larger, deep-sea albacore used in most cans. Otherwise, choose "light" tuna, which also has low mercury levels.

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