Tuna Pasta Salad is an incredibly delicious dish that is simple to prepare. It can be made in advance and enjoyed either hot or cold. You will love the fantastic flavours of this delicious salad.
Ingredients
- 300 g (10.5 oz) Dried penne pasta
- 2 cups (400 g) Perino Grape Tomatoes (quartered)
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) Olive oil (extra virgin)
- 1 Clove of garlic (minced)
- 370 g (13 oz) Canned tuna in oil (well-drained)
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives (pitted and cut into thirds)
- 1/3 cup Flat-leaf parsley (finely chopped)
- 1 tsp Dried chilli/red pepper flakes (or to taste)
- 1 tsp Lemon zest
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook your pasta until al dente.
- While the pasta is cooking, add the olive oil and minced garlic to a large bowl and mix to combine.
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain well. Add the pasta to the bowl with the oil and garlic, and stir well. Set the pasta aside to cool slightly.
- While your pasta is cooling, chop your tomatoes. I like to chop the grape tomatoes in quarters for this recipe.
- Chop the olives and parsley, and zest the lemon. Drain the tuna.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the pasta, and toss to combine. Season well and serve.
Notes
- A short pasta, such as penne or fusilli is best for this recipe. You can use gluten-free pasta if required.
- I have used Perino Grape Tomatoes for this recipe. Tomatoes are best enjoyed at room temperature, as refrigeration can dull their flavour.
- With so few ingredients, to obtain the best flavour I prefer to use extra virgin olive oil.
- I find that tuna packed in oil has a better flavour. However, if you prefer, you can use tuna packed in water. For vibrance of flavour, I prefer to drain the oil from the tuna and use fresh olive oil with the pasta salad.
- Continental/Italian parsley is the flat-leaf variety. To me, the flavour and texture is superior to curly parsley.
- Be careful to remove just the zest and avoid the bitter white pith.
- Ensure that the dish is adequately seasoned to your liking, to bring out the best flavour.
- The Tuna Pasta Salad can be made a day in advance. Store in the fridge and allow to come to room temperature before serving, or warm in a saucepan or the microwave.
- Please note, the nutritional information is based on this recipe being served as a main course. It will serve 6 people as a side dish. It does not include what the salad is served with. The nutritional information is an estimate only.