Tuna Pasta Salad + Tomatoes and Crushed Olives

Serves 4 | Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes

Classic mediterranean flavors make this pasta a dish must during the summer. Opt for lentil pasta should you want a more nutritious noodle. This particular recipe comes courtesy of Megan Litt of Food52.

Ingredients

2 pounds ripe cherry tomatoes, halved (and/or heirloom tomatoes, cut into bite-size pieces)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 pound short pasta, such as campanelle or fusilli (can sub lentil fusilli as well)
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons capers, drained and roughly chopped
4 oil-packed anchovy fillets, drained
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley (from about 1 small bunch)
1 cup Castelvetrano olives
2 (5-ounce) cans oil-packed tuna
5 ounces arugula, for serving

Chef Tips

You can make a day in advance as well and you’ll have a wonderful meal ready to go. It’s delicious room temperature or as a cold pasta salad.

Some don’t like olives/capers so I would try artichokes (can is yummy) and some marinated gigante beans; look in the deli counter of your grocery store.

Preparation

Step 1

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add a handful of salt and the pasta; cook the pasta according to the package directions until it’s 1 minute past al dente, then drain well.

Step 2

While the pasta cooks, place the tomatoes in a large bowl and season generously with salt and pepper. Drizzle with the red wine vinegar, toss to combine, and set aside to marinate.

Step 3

Add the oil and garlic to a small saucepan and set it over medium heat. Cook until the garlic is fragrant and begins to turn lightly golden, swirling the pot occasionally, about 4 minutes. Add the capers, anchovies, and red pepper flakes and continue to cook, stirring, until the anchovies have melted, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.

Step 4

While the oil cools for a few minutes, roughly chop the parsley leaves and tender stems (to yield about ¾ cup). Tear the olives into bite-size pieces.

Step 5

Add the warm oil to the tomatoes, along with the tuna (and any oil from the cans), olives, and parsley. Stir to combine and break up the tuna. Add the pasta and toss to coat. Add additional salt, red pepper flakes, or vinegar to taste. To serve, top each serving with a handful of arugula and a drizzle of fresh olive oil.