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Spring Cleaning: Pasta with tuna, capers, and lemon

The recipe I am about to share is one of my favorite "clean out the pantry" dishes. It's not so much a pasta salad as it is a pasta that is meant to be served at room temperature. This makes it perfect for casual buffet lunches or dinners, or for picnics and potlucks. It's good cold, better when it's at room temperature, but whatever you do, don't toss the ingredients while the pasta is hot. You'll have a gloppy, wilted pasta on your hands if you do.

Note: Use only imported oil-packed tuna and salted capers for this. Don't skimp on quality or you'll taste the difference.

Stefania Butler's Pasta with Tuna, Capers, and Lemon

Any short pasta (penne, rigatoni, gemelli, campanelle, farfalle, shells, etc.)
extra virgin olive oil
1 7 ounce jar oil-packed tuna (Callipo or Flott)
1 tablespoon salt-packed capers, rinsed thoroughly and patted dry between two paper towels
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
1 generous handful finely chopped, flat leaf parsley, leaves only
1 Meyer (preferred) lemon, juiced
1 Meyer (preferred) lemon cut into very thin (almost transparent) slices
salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta for 2 minutes less than what package indicates. Drain. Toss with a little extra virgin olive oil, then spread onto a couple of large jelly roll pans to cool. DO NOT RINSE THE PASTA TO COOL IT.

Meanwhile, dump the tuna (and the oil it was packed in) into a large bowl and flake it into large chunks. Then add capers, onion, parsley, and lemon juice, along with 3-4 good "glugs" of extra virgin olive oil. Mix gently. Set aside.

When pasta is cooled, add to tuna mixture. Toss gently. Taste and adjust seasonings, add in lemon slices and toss again. Serve at once (preferred) or refrigerate then bring to room temperature and toss before serving.

[photo: Stefania Pomponi Butler]

Filed Under: Spring Cleaning, Ingredients, How To
Tags: america, dinner, fish, grains, italy, lunch, oil-packed tuna, pasta salad, pasta tuna capers lemon, PastaTunaCapersLemon, salted capers

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

Myron

3-30-2006 @4:46PM Myron said... Why cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the package indicates? Does the pasta continue to cook somehow?
Reply

Bruce Dearborn Walker

3-30-2006 @6:21PM Bruce Dearborn Walker said... I like to add a little olive oil to this. Sometimes some fresh basil too. Or garlic. And fresh grated parmesan cheese and pine nuts or cashews or pistachios. But now we're talking about another meal entirely.

Never mind.
Reply

2 Comments / 1 Pages

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