Sushi is a favorite in our household, so when I saw the Sashimi Grade Ahi Tuna at Trader Joe's, I had to try it.  I decided to sear it lightly, the way they do in fancy restaurants.  This is one of those meals that looks ultra fancy and impressive, but it's really a snap to make.  You could marinade the ahi for even more flavor, but I hadn't planned ahead, so a crust of Lemon Pepper grinds did the trick for me.  (Lemon Pepper is in the spice section - it is a terrific blend of black peppercorns, sea salt, onion, lemon, and garlic.  Best of all, it comes in its own grinder bottle for convenient freshly ground flavor.)

Now what to serve it on?  A baby salad mix tossed in vinaigrette would be a nice choice.  I wanted something heartier, so I chose Lemon Pappardelle pasta.  If you haven't tried this pasta from Trader Joe's, pick one up today.  I loooove the fresh lemony flavor - far fresher than you'd expect from dried pasta.  And it's a great accompaniment to this fancy tuna.  I haven't made it through the other pappardelle variations, but based on how much I love the Lemon Papperdelle, I plan to try all the others as well.

Seared Ahi Tuna on Lemon Pappardelle

2 Sashimi Grade Ahi Tuna steaks (6-8 ounces each)
1 pkg Lemon Pepper Pappardelle pasta
1 Tbsp Lemon Pepper grinds
2 tsp + 1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Pinch of salt
1 Tbsp chopped parsley or basil

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions.
2. Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium to high heat.
3. Coat all sides of the tuna steaks with lemon pepper seasoning.  When pan is hot, sear both sides of the tuna steaks for 1-2 minutes per side.  Photo above shows steaks seared for 2 minutes per side; cook less if you prefer them more rare.
4. Remove tuna from pan and slice into 1/4-inch sices.
5. Mix remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil with lemon juice and salt to make a quick dressing.  Toss the drained pasta in the dressing.
6. Serve tuna slices over pasta and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Serves ~3.