This gluten-free sesame penne dish is super tasty, plus it’s easy and fast to cook! It only requires few ingredients, which makes it the perfect healthy fast food for dinner! Oh yea, your Mont Kiara personal trainer has just said fast food! But bear in mind, fast doesn't necessarily mean it's not healthy. The pasta I cooked with this dish is the sugar and gluten free sesame penne pasta from Wise Pasta. That means this pasta dish is paleo friendly, and it is’s also suitable for diabetics!
Penne is a great option for tomato sauce dishes, as the sauce can cover the pasta inside as well, while some of the tuna pieces just stick into the holes of the penne, yummy!
Canned chopped tomatoes and tuna are two ingredients that I always keep at home, just in case I need to cook something fast. First of all, tomato based pastas are always a ‘good to go food’ in our household. Second, canned tuna is a jolly joker food when it comes to protein source. You don’t need to defrost it like a frozen chicken breast, and it can last for very long on your shelf. Canned tuna of course will never be as good as fresh tuna but we’re not in Japan but in Malaysia!
I usually choose the tuna in spring water in order to cut some calories. Tuna is also a great source of protein! Tuna in water from Ayam Brand (150g) for example consists only 110 kCal and 24.5 g of protein and 606 mg of of healthy omega 3 fat!
You can cut calories and carbohydrates further by choosing the gluten free sesame penne! It has 75% lower carbohydrate compared to traditional pasta (19.2g in 100g only), plus it’s also high in fiber and has low glycemic index. Who sad you cannot eat pasta if you’re trying to lose weight? Believe me you can! I'm a personal trainer in Kuala Lumpur and I eat pasta too every week! Just eat a better version of pasta and you can still enjoy tasty dishes!
Can you add other ingredients too to this dish?
Of course! You can add chopped olives, chilli, fresh basil and even some lemon juice to elevate the taste. Just to name a few!
Is it suitable for meal-prep ahead?
Yes, it is! You can prep it ahead and just keep the sauce separate to the cooked pasta. You can mix them in a food container before you intend to take it to work for example, and just warm it up in a microwave oven!
Can you freeze it?
You can freeze the sauce but not the gluten free pasta.
Can I use other type of pasta?
Yes, you can! You can cook it with traditional pasta too. If you want to elevate the protein content even higher, cook it with the protein penne or protein spaghetti. If you want higher fiber and a nice nutty flavour choose the gluten free quinoa penne!
Ingredients & Approximate cost
1 pack of Gluten Free Sesame Penne - RM 19.90
1 can of Italian chopped tomatoes. - RM 5.85
1 can of tuna flakes in water, drained - RM 6.40
1 medium size red onion, finely chopped - RM 0.80
1 glove of garlic, minced - RM 0.05
1 tablespoon of capers, drained, washed and chopped - RM 0.85
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil - RM 2.24
1 tsp balsamic vinegar - RM 0.15
Total: RM 36.40
~ Price & Calories / portion: RM 12.08 (303 cal)
Preparation
Put on a pot of water for the pasta and bring it to boil.
Heat up the olive oil over medium heat in a pan, and add the finely chopped red onion.
One the onion translucent, add the garlic, capers and fry them for about 10-20 seconds.
Add the tuna and break it up with a wooden spoon, while stirring it, fry it for another 30-60 seconds.
Pour in the tomato sauce, stir it then add the balsamic vinegar.
Cook it for 2-3 minutes, while stirring it continuously.
Cook the pasta and once it’s ready just add it to the sauce.
Enjoy!
