Our tuna pasta salad with capers is a jazzed up version of a classic tuna pasta that is perfect for feeding a crowd. We’ve used orecchiette pasta to make our tuna pasta salad. This type of pasta comes from Puglia in southern Italy, and the name translates as ‘small ears’, which describes the shape of these little pasta cups. They key to making this tuna pasta salad really special is using good quality tuna. We used Ortiz Albacaore tuna, but you can use the best quality you can find in your local supermarket. This crowd pleasing pasta dish is perfect for buffets, barbecues and picnics. The capers add a lovely saltiness to the dish, and the Dijon mustard in the dressing gives it a bit of a kick. This quick and easy tuna pasta salad with capers is a simple weeknight supper – and the leftovers are perfect for lunchboxes!
Ingredients
- 500g orecchiette or small pasta shapes
- 2 x 300g (drained weight) best quality canned tuna
- 8tbsp non-pareil (baby) capers
- 8tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- juice of 1 large lemon
- 2tbsp Dijon mustard
- 4tbsp olive oil, plus extra for the pasta
Method
Cook the orecchiette according to the pack instructions, around 8-10 minutes, leaving it a little al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water. Then, in a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Break up the tuna into bite-sized chunks. To make the dressing, mix together the capers, parsley, garlic, lemon, mustard and olive oil in a small bowl. Stir the chunks of tuna and dressing through the pasta. Add a few micro herbs if you like.
