Pesto Pasta Recipe & Tuna Fish Cakes!

Hello, and welcome to the Redneck Cuban Kitchen. If you have followed this channel for a while, you probably have noticed the calory-loaded Cuban recipe and deserts I am accustomed to making. Well, I got a message via this website the other day that resonated with me for the simple reason that it is something my friends have made fun of me. While out at happy hour or just hanging out, several of my friends have mentioned that there is a possibility that followers of the Cuban Redneck DIY Channel may get the impression that I am a pig. Some people may get the impression that I’ll be eating Cuban sandwiches, dulce de leche cortada, baked ziti, and flan de coco, 24/7. The reality is that I do watch what I eat more than people may think. Although I don’t diet and don’t believe in diets, salads, and things of that nature, I do tend to cook what is often classified as a paleo or keto diet. These are recipes tilted toward protein and away from carbs.

For this reason, I have decided to share with you one of my go-to meals when I am in a hurry or a lazy mood and don’t feel like cooking. That is being my pesto pasta recipe and my tuna cakes recipe. If you had pesto from the grocery store and you hate it, you are not alone! However, fresh homemade pesto is an entirely different thing! I will be using homegrown organic Basil from my garden, which I recommend people to try and grow. Basil is very easy to gown, and it is quite healthy.

As mention in the video, this is a meal, not just a recipe, and more often than not, I will also ad a side of salad. However, be careful with the type and amount of dressing you use since, more often than not, it seems to be the downfall of salads

This video was more reactive to a message from a subscriber than planned. For this reason, I ended using whatever I had in my pantry, but as I said in the video, with better ingredients like veggie, high-protein, or whole wheat pasta, this can be a pretty healthy dish. The same goes for the tuna cakes, I know that a lot of people are concerned with the levels of mercury in tuna, but cod, shrimp, crab meat, trout, salmon are also very good options. In fact, when it comes to fish, my favorite fish for cakes are Jacks and or Pompanos. While talking about the tuna cakes, I am going with the standard amount here for bread crumbs, but consider cutting back if you are counting carbs. You only need a little bit, and whole wheat crums are also a healthier choice.

• 2 Cups of Pasta
• ½ Cup of Chopped Basil (about four sprigs)
• ½ Cup of Parmesan Cheese
• 2-3 Tablespoons of Virgin Olive Oil
• And 5 to 6 Cloves of Garlic

• ½ Cup of Italian Style Bread Crumbs
• 1 – Egg
• 10 oz. of Solid Tuna

I suggest adding a little bit of chopped onion, green onions, parsley, and even culantro to the cakes, but this is 100% optional and to taste. I will be using fresh green onion sprigs and a small onion from my garden.

This dish, or should I say dinner takes about 20 minutes from start to finish, and it is often my go-to when I don’t feel like cooking. As I mentioned earlier, I am using Basil from my garden, and something I encourage you to try and grow at home.

We’ll start by chopping 5-6 large cloves of garlic, and then we will bring 2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil to temperature over medium heat. We are going to cook the garlic for about 30-40 seconds. Just enough to kill that raw taste. Know that more often than not, I leave one clove uncooked and add that to the mixture later. Season your garlic with salt and pepper, and set it aside to cool down. At this time, get 2-3 quarts of salted water going for our pasta.

While the water comes to a boil, let’s open the cans of tuna and deposit them into a strainer. We can then start to work on the pesto by chopping 4-5 sprigs of fresh basil. No, I am afraid the jar stuff may not work as well! You are going to need about a ½ cup of chopped basil. I will be using my mini chopper/food processor, but I am often told that a mortar and pestle are better. If you don’t have either one, I guess a blender will do. Just use the pulse option. We don’t want this puree. Once broken down a little, add the garlic – olive oil mixture, mix it well and check for salt and pepper and set it aside for all the flavors to get acquainted with each other.

Our water should be boiling by this time, so let’s put our pasta to cook and start working on the cakes. In a medium mixing bowl, crack an egg and whisk it until there are no streaks of white. Add the bread crumbs, chopped onion, green onions, parsley, cilantro, and your tuna. Mixed well and form into 3-4 oz. balls. Let then rest while we bring some more oil to temperature over medium heat. Form them into patties and cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until they develop a nice golden crust. Know that they may look like they are falling apart, just keep them in shape, and once they come to temp, they will stay together. Once all four of your patties are done, we can drain the pasta. Rinse the pasta a little to remove some of the saltines and cool it off a hair. Deposit it into a large mixing bowl. Add the basil – garlic mix and mix thoroughly. Add the parmesan cheese, and mix until everything is incorporated, and serve. If it looks a little dry, consider adding a little bit more of either avocado or olive oil. The quantities given are more than enough for two adults servings, maybe even three!

My name is JC, coming to you from the Redneck Cuban Kitchen. I’ll see you next week, and I hope you try this Pesto Pasta Recipe & Tuna Cakes soon.