Roasted Veggies & Tuna Noodle

It's HARD to fit veggies in at most meals. We've all found roasting makes it easier and tastier. ;) Spread your veggie of choice on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at 400 degrees till done. How could that be simpler? ;) Veggies I love roasted: cauliflower, asparagus, sweet potatoes, peppers & onions, parsnips.

I made tuna noodle the other night and had a head of cauliflower in the fridge so I roasted it for a side. I guess aesthetically it wasn't the best choice (since the plate of food was almost monochromatic - and white was the monochrome) but nutritionally it actually delivered. ;)

Tuna noodle, oh, how I love you. Let me count the ways...

1. You are creamy

2. You are dreamy

3. You have mushrooms

4. You have pasta

5. You have tuna

6. You have peas

7. You hold your own against a generous sprinkling of red hot

There you go - seven ways. Seven ways to love it and probably twice as many ways to make it.

Here is my preferred method:

1/2 lb. pasta (just say NO to ELBOW macaroni!!)

Saute:

Drizzle of olive oil

1 med onion chopped

1 package of mushrooms chopped (your favorite variety)

3 cloves minced garlic

Sprinkle 2 heaping tbsp of flour and cook a few mins.

Add:

1 package cream cheese (Momma G's secret ingredient) - cook on med heat until melted

Whisk in:

1 cup chicken stock

2% milk until smooth and creamy

Cook sauce on med-high until a creamy consistency. Add peas to sauce and stir until peas are cooked - about 2 mins.

Turn off burner and add crumbled tuna and cooked pasta - fold into the sauce.

P.S. I tried the flavored tuna in a packet this time, and I wasn't crazy about it because I like to have chunks of tuna. Scott (who is not a tuna noodle fan - gasp! ) actually liked this recipe since the tuna basically melted into the sauce and he didn't detect it as easily.

Mangia~

Lora