Recipe: Tushi Pasta Andy

I was at Harris Teeter today and they had a 1/2 price special on Sashimi-grade tuna steaks which means that it was handled with such care that you can eat it raw... or sushi style. Being in the mood for pasta and trying to eat healthier after a vacation, I came up with a sort of italian-blackened-sushi pasta dish.

Tuna steak, 3/4 inch thick. (I used a pound)
Chopped Basil
Chopped Green onion (I used 3 stalks)
Sliced and quartered zucchini (I used half a large one)
Can of chicken broth.
Olive Oil
Garlic (2 cloves)
Whole Wheat bowtie pasta.

I started by cooking the noodles. While the noodles were boiling, I pan fried the Zucchini, onion and garlic in a splash of olive oil while the pan was heating up for the "blackening." Once the veggies where cooked just right I set them aside and put some chicken broth over the top of them, as well as the oil they cooked in, trying to make a light sauce/dressing. I added a bit more oil to the pan and let it heat up some more.

I rubbed some dried chopped basil on both sides of the tuna steak. Since it was Sashimi-grade, I wanted the pan to be good and hot so it seared the outside without cooking it all the way through, in fact I wanted it raw in the middle. Just a quick minute or so on each side, and it was just about right. I pulled it out and sliced it up into thin strips and tossed it all together with the veggies and noodles. There was still a lot of good drippings and spices in the pan so I poured in some more chicken broth which quickly reduced and poured that with the drippings into the mix.

The Verdict:
It was so good I decided to start blogging my recipes.

Other things to try:
Next time I might include more veggies, perhaps mushrooms, maybe even some chopped stewed tomatoes. Maybe wine in the pan if I had any laying around for whatever reason.
It could probably be chilled and served as a salad.

Lessons Learned:
Be careful when flipping your steak. Searing of the skin could result if you aren't careful.