Rushing - Linguine with Tuna, Cherry Tomatoes & Herbs

It took about 20 minutes to sneak a little cooking into the schedule tonight. Well, hardly cooking. Opening a can, boiling some water for pasta, throwing some things into a saute pan and running my knife through a handful of herbs. But it felt so good. I'm so excited to have some time this weekend to finally delve into my new Ad Hoc cookbook. I woke up the other morning to the sounds of "mmmm...." coming from the chair Daniel occupied after getting up early for coffee. He was thumbing through the pages and lingering on the photographs. The leek bread pudding seemed to catch his eye. I myself still have my heart set on the chocolate chip cookie recipe.

So after 20 minutes of "cooking" tonight, and 10 minutes of shoving it into my mouth, I rushed off to the theatre. Tonight was our first night in front of an audience. It was an impressive crowd. It's always a bit of a revelation to see what happens to a show once it has an audience. To find the laughs and feel the energy. As a cast, we were relieved to finally feel what it was like with this show. To hear the first collective laugh is always a bit of a rush, not to mention totally addictive.

So, just two more nights of rushed dinners and leftover lunches for now. Thanks to my friend Denise in Ireland (and Happy Anniversary by the way!) for the Monkfish recipe suggestion, which I'm dying to try. And as I said, suggestions are welcome! This show runs for five more weeks and this girl needs ideas!

This is a great, quick recipe. Don't skimp on the herbs, there should be a ton. They really brighten the flavor of this dish.

Linguine with Tuna, Cherry Tomatoes & Herbs

1/2 lb linguine, cooked according to package directions
1 can Italian tuna packed in olive oil (the quality of tuna makes a huge difference in this recipe, so spring for the good stuff!)
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1/3 cup chopped mint
1/3 cup chopped basil
1/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Parmesan for serving
salt and pepper to taste

Boil water and cook the pasta. Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Saute the shallots until tender and translucent. Add the garlic and saute a minute more. Add tuna and tomatoes, turn up the heat and saute about 3-4 minutes more. Add pasta to the tuna mixture and toss with herbs, vinegar and salt and pepper. Serve with Parmesan.