Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Tuna

Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Tuna ~ I know, it’s the end of a long day and you’re starving.  So yes, open that can of tuna, but don’t eat it over the sink.  This beautiful salad’s got everything you crave: carbs, protein, and lots of pretty colorful bits, too.  It’s a spiffier version of the pasta salad with tuna that mom made.  #adulting

This is not only a quick meal, it’s also a no-shop, straight-from-the-pantry meal, meaning everything you need should be right in your kitchen.  If you have to run out for something, you’re not making it right!

This is one of our favorite transition meals made to span that no man’s land between late summer into fall.  We’re not quite ready for meatloaf, but we’re still hungry at the end of the day.  The good news is that no ingredient in this go-to meal is sacrosanct ~ everything is replaceable, from the pasta to the herbs, so mix and match with what you have.

I use high flavor pantry staples like olives and marinated veggies, they’re a great vivid counterpoint to the comforting but bland bowties and beans (and Italian antipasto flavors are a natural fit with tuna.)  If I know I’m going to make this ahead of time, I like to visit the olive bar at my supermarket and fill a small container with various olives and marinated peppers, etc.  That way I can buy just what I need, with no leftover cans or jars to store in the fridge.

An old potato salad technique my grandma taught me works for pasta salads too ~ immediately after draining I’ll toss the hot pasta with some of the dressing.  This way the bowtie pasta absorbs all that flavor while its ‘pores’ are open!

This salad keeps well, so you can make it ahead and, I know it’s a cliché but it really does get better with age.  We use it all summer long and then into the fall for great weekday lunches.

I love canned tuna.  It’s one of the few proteins that you can stock in the pantry, and that makes it super helpful for quick meals, just be sure to buy the good stuff (i.e. packed in oil, sustainable, etc.)  Here are a few more of my favorite canned tuna recipes ~

Spicy Tuna Wonton Cups 

Rainbow Poke Bowl with Canned Tuna

Tuna Mason Jar Salads

Make this Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Tuna your own ~

• Make it vegetarian ~ leave out the tuna and add some feta cheese for extra protein.
• Make it with chicken or shrimp.
• Make it low carb and gluten free ~ omit the pasta and serve it over greens.