Fresh
Easy Tuna & Olive Pasta Salad
A make-ahead lunch that travels well from kitchen to lunchbox to picnic mat. Cibo di Italia Fusilli grabs the lemony dressing, and the tuna, olives and capers do all the flavour work. Better after an hour in the fridge.
Ingredients
- 350gCibo di Italia Fusilli
- 2piecestins of tuna in olive oil — around 160g drained weight in total
- 100gpitted black olives — halved
- 2tbspcapers — rinsed
- 200gcherry tomatoes — quartered
- 1/2piecesred onion — very finely sliced
- 5tbspolive oil
- 2tbsplemon juice
- 1tspDijon mustard
- 1piecesmall handful flat-leaf parsley — chopped
- to tastesalt and black pepper
Method
Step 1.Bring 4 litres of salted water (2 tbsp salt) to a boil. Cook the fusilli for 9 minutes — you want it al dente; it firms up further as it cools.
9 min
Step 2.While the pasta cooks, soak the red onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften its bite, then drain.
10 min
Step 3.In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon, a generous pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper into a smooth dressing.
1 min
Step 4.Drain the fusilli, rinse briefly under cold water, and drain again well. Tip into a large mixing bowl.
1 min
Step 5.While still slightly warm, pour over half the dressing and toss — the pasta will drink it in and stay seasoned.
1 min
Step 6.Flake the tuna over the top with its oil, then add the olives, capers, tomatoes, drained onion and parsley.
1 min
Step 7.Pour over the rest of the dressing and toss gently to combine. Taste and adjust with more lemon, salt or pepper.
1 min
Step 8.Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving so the flavours mingle. Keeps for 2 days in the fridge.
Goes well with
Iced peach tea with lemon — sweet, sharp, summery.
Warm flatbread brushed with olive oil and za'atar.
Watermelon wedges with a sprinkle of sea salt.
The pasta we used
Cibo di Italia Fusilli
500g · Cooks in 9–11 minutes · Serves ~5
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