Black Olives, Sundried Tomatoes & Salmon with Pasta

Those are a few of my favorite 99c Only Store things. For my latest budget recipe, I combine four prepackaged ingredients to create an earthy entree. Plus, this is a pantry-emptying meal.

Cans of tuna and anchovies along with pouches of salmon are on my top shelf; you'll find cans of plump black olives and jars of sun-dried tomatoes on my middle shelf; and further down are bags of every kind of pasta you can image.

 If you're lucky you'll find these packaged edibles at your local dollar store (or at least some of them), and the rest are inexpensive at your regular grocery store.

Pungent dried tomatoes in olive oil provide the base flavor, and the oil combined with pasta water, or 99 cent white wine, is the sauce. Very simple and quick to cook.

I add the olives whole -- heated through, their flavor intensifies as they soften. Flake-in cooked salmon or tuna including the water or oil. Mix and heat through and serve over pasta - it is ready in 10 minutes - no slicing, peeling or chopping!

This is a cheap, quick and starkly flavorful pasta dish you can serve to guests - they will be impressed.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 7 oz. pouch (or can) of salmon - okay to substitute tuna in oil or water.
• 1 can of black whole olives - chopped is okay.
• 6 - 10 sun-dried tomato halves - add 2 tablespoons of oil marinade, too.
• 1/2 cup of 99 cent white wine - okay to substitute broth or pasta water.
• Fresh Italian herbs, if you have any - or teaspoon of dried.
• Black Pepper to taste - there is plenty of salt in canned or packaged cooked fish and canned olives.
• 3/4 package of pasta - whatever type you have on hand.

Directions
Prepare pasta according to package directions - I usually shave off a minute or two of cooking time for al dente. Drain and set aside. I like to drizzle in a tablespoon of olive oil or a pat of butter to keep it from clumping together. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, if needed.

While pasta is cooking, in a medium hot saute pan, add sun-dried tomatoes including 2 tablespoons of oil from the jar. After a couple of minutes, the sun-dried tomatoes will be soft enough to break into bite-sized pieces (unless they are already chopped). 

Add one can of drained black olives. Heat a couple more minutes. Pour in 1/2 cup of white wine, pasta water or broth. 

Bring to a low boil, reduce heat, then add packaged salmon or tuna with their water or oil. Mix and heat through for about 5 minutes. Serve over pasta.