I'm back with another recipe! The last one seemed to have gone down pretty well, so I thought I'd make recipes a regular thing on here! I love food, so it only seems right :) This one, (like all other meals I make) is an easy one. Tuna Pasta Salad is such a no effort, healthy dish; I challenge you to find fault with the recipe's simplicity! Anyway, let's get right into it..
You firstly want to gather all your ingredients. I made enough for two to three people, so divide or multiply the recipe as you please:
I used:
150g of Pasta
Half a Red Onion, diced
Half a Red Pepper, diced,
One Small Carrot, diced
Salt, to taste
Mixed Herbs, to taste
Garlic Pepper, about a teaspoon
Mayonnaise, two heaped tablespoons
One or Two Small Tins of Tuna, drained
I started by putting the pasta on to boil. It doesn't matter what pasta shape you use although I would suggest something along the lines of Penne or Fusilli. I chose to use Rigatoni because the long tube shape allows it to pick up the tuna flakes and the other vegetables with ease, and also means it won't be weighed down by the mayonnaise. I poured the pasta into salted boiling water for 8-9 minutes on a high fire. Checking the state of the pasta shapes as you go along is essential to achieving the texture you desire. I like my pasta to not be fully cooked. When it has a slight bite, I find the whole meal feels a lot more filling.
While the pasta was boiling, I washed and diced my vegetables - the red onion, carrot, and red pepper. I used red onion instead of white, or green, because of its distinct, almost 'spicy' flavour. I believe it complements the tinned tuna well, so is a must whenever I make this salad. Though if you find the taste of red onion too potent, feel free to use a different kind of onion or omit the use of onion altogether. I sliced my carrot lengthwise, then sliced it thinly. I did leave the skin on but made sure I scrubbed it before use. A lot of a fruit or vegetable's nutrients are just below the skin, so removing the skin might rid you of a lot of its goodness. I'd play it safe if I were you, you want to get as much, nutritionally, from this salad as possible. I lastly sliced and diced my red pepper then added all the vegetables to the bowl.
I drained then flaked in my tinned tuna then added my seasonings. I initially used about half a teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of herbs, and half a teaspoon of pepper.
As I finished this step, I checked my pasta by cutting a tube in half to see how well and easily it cuts. It was very slightly under in the middle - perfect. I drained the hot water off the pasta then covered it with cold water to stop all cooking.
After I had drained the pasta for the second time, I stirred it into the vegetables, tuna and seasoning.
Once well combined, I added the two heaped tablespoons of mayonnaise then stirred it through.
Taste it, is it okay?
Adjust the seasoning if necessary, add more mayonnaise if need be, then leave it to chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, but the longer, the better.
Extra things you can add to the salad, but aren't essential - only to enhance the flavour, are the following..
Honey - Just a drizzle of honey can make all the difference in a summer salad. Vegetables that aren't as sweet, because they aren't in season, really benefit from a squeeze of honey, and pair well with the salt you added.
Garlic Powder - I'm a garlic lover, so I try and add it to everything, but I must say, it isn't entirely essential in this recipe. The big flavours from the onion leave little space for another big character like Garlic. However, if you want to add it, please do!
Sriracha - Because no meal's complete without a bit of sriracha. Come on now.
After an hour, the flavours had married together, and the salad was ready to be eaten. I sliced a few slivers of avocado and placed them on top.
I hope you try this recipe, it tasted lovely!
All the best everyone, Happy Sunday,
Christina x
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