Tuna, tomato and basil pasta

Camping is a great way to get out of town, away from electronic devices, and relax. This time, we found a new-but-old car camping site on the Guthega River, in Australia’s Snowy Mountains. It was a beautiful little site, and perfect after our afternoon walk to Blue Lake.

We set up the campsite right beside the river:

A campsite on the Guthega River, with a fireplace ready for a day without a total fireban.

A sign warned of sudden fluctuations in water level, so we set the tent up a bit further back to avoid watery surprises in the middle of the night. The river level is controlled by Guthega Pondage, and a large release could have spelled trouble. As it turned out, the water had dropped by about a metre the next morning , so we really had nothing to fear.

We have a few standard car-camping meals, and the tuna, tomato and basil pasta is one of them. It tastes great, it can be cooked in a trangia (or over a campfire, but not in summer, alas), and it needs very little preparation. It’s also very healthy and full of calories, which is important when there’s another day of walking to come.

Tuna, tomato and basil pasta, served in a luxurious, riverside setting

• Servings: 4
• Time: 30 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

• lots of garlic (at least 2 cloves, and preferably 6–8)
• 1 onion (finely diced)
• 1 large tin of tomatoes (800 grams)
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 1 tin of tuna
• 2 tablespoons of fresh basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 500-gram packet of penne pasta

Directions

1. Boil the pasta in a large pot of salted water.
2. In a separate pot, saute the onion and garlic in a little olive oil. Add in the other ingredients and simmer until you’re ready to eat it.
3. Serve and enjoy

Notes

Source: Adapted from Sandra Cabot’s Liver Cleansing Diet, 1996.

Tuna, tomato and basil pasta, served in special plastic camping plates and garnished with some finely sliced snow peas for those important greens