Simple, iconic and delicious, this Puttanesca inspired pasta salad is just perfect. Instead of working on a tomato sauce, we use fresh cherry tomatoes with the briny capers and black olives and yellowfin tuna from Starkist. It’s divine!
Puttanesca Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- For the vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey optional, for a touch of sweetness
- 1 garlic clove minced
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- For the pasta salad:
- 1 lb rigatoni cooked and cooled
- 3 cans StarKist Yellowfin Tuna with Roasted Garlic in Extra Virgin Olive Oil you can use any yellowfin tuna in olive oil but I love this one!
- 1 shallot chopped
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives quartered
- 1 tbsp Calabrian chilies chopped
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes chopped
- 3 tbsp capers
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup white wine vinaigrette
Directions
- **Prep the ingredients:**
- Cook the rigatoni according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool. Set aside.
- Drain the tuna, reserving a bit of the olive oil for added flavor if desired.
- Chop the shallot, parsley, Kalamata olives, Calabrian chilies, and cherry tomatoes.
- Make the vinaigrette (can be done up to 3 days ahead.) In a small bowl or a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey (if using), and minced garlic. Whisk together or, if using a jar, close the lid tightly and shake vigorously until the ingredients are well combined.
- **Combine Ingredients:**
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked rigatoni, tuna (with some of the reserved olive oil if using), chopped shallot, chopped parsley, quartered Kalamata olives, chopped Calabrian chilies, chopped cherry tomatoes, and capers.
- **Dress the Salad:**
- Pour the white wine vinaigrette over the salad. Toss gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust the seasoning as needed.
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