Last Night's Dinner: Warm Pasta Salad with Tuna & Other Things

It hasn't been very long since I last posted about a pasta salad type of meal, but I find the light-yet-satisfying nature of these dishes perfect for this time of year. They're quick, easy, and also super versatile, and since you can add basically anything you want, you won't get sick of them. Adding a "fancy" salad ingredient like marinated peppers, artichokes, or kalamata olives will make your version seem much more sophisticated than the actual effort that went into it. Which is always nice.

For this one I tossed together:

1/2 box of whole wheat Rotini, about 7 oz

2 cans of tuna, packed in water, drained

1 green onion, cut on the bias

3 pepperoncini, thinly sliced (medium-hot peppers, sometimes called Tuscan peppers)

handful or two of chopped asparagus

a few marinated artichoke hearts

salt and pepper

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Add the asparagus for the last minute of cooking time, then drain.

2. In a large bowl, combine about a tablespoon of olive oil, a drizzle of juice (vinegar) from the pepperoncini jar (or regular vinegar if not using peppers), salt and pepper. Add tuna, and break it up.

3. Add pasta, asparagus, and remaining ingredients to bowl and toss until completely coated with dressing. Add more oil and/or vinegar if needed.

Instead of the pepperoncini you can use their less spicy cousins, banana peppers, or even marinated bell peppers if you prefer. Personally I'm all about spicy food lately, so I was more than a little bit excited about the peppers. I ate two of them whole - seeds and all - while I was preparing dinner, which caused Brady a little bit of shock and horror. It was worth it. 

I didn't actually think about adding balsamic vinegar until we were ready to eat, so I just served it alongside. It worked out fine, but I think the flavor would be better dispersed if it were combined with the other dressing ingredients from the beginning. The sweet tartness of the vinegar is a nice contrast with the mildness of the tuna. This is something that Italians have known... possibly forever. In the opinion of the Food Network, this is what an Italian tuna salad is, but in my experience it is something too delicious to describe. But I'll try anyway. In another post, someday.

Warm Tortellini Salad with Cherry Tomatoes & Other Good Things

This is a very tasty, flavorful meal that takes almost no time at all. If you know you'll be in a hurry you can cut up the tomatoes, onion, and asparagus beforehand, and you've got dinner ready in about 5 minutes.

Ingredients:

9 oz cheese tortellini

1/4 of a red onion, sliced (I chopped mine, for some reason)

1/2 of a 14 oz jar of marinated artichokes, drained

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 bunch of asparagus cut into 1 1/2 inch-long-ish pieces (about 1/2 pound)

Fresh parsley or basil, chopped

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Apple cider or red wine vinegar

Directions:

1. Cook tortellini according to package directions. Add asparagus to cook for the last minute of the pasta's cooking time.

2. While the pasta is cooking, mix a good drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar with a splash of apple cider or red wine vinegar in a large bowl. Add salt and pepper and other veggies.

3. Drain tortellini and asparagus and add to the dressing and veggie mixture. Turn to coat everything, sprinkle with parsley or basil, and serve.

I used parsley mostly just because I didn't have basil on hand. I think basil, or some combo of the two, would be ideal. To be honest, parsley is just a tiny bit grassy for this dish, but I love fresh herbs of any kind so it didn't bother me at all.

What I didn't add, which I think I should have, is a bit of grated Parmesan cheese right before serving. You could also add some arugula or baby spinach if you were feeling adventurous. Still, this was very tasty, and obviously super easy. I love cold pasta salad, even for dinner, but I think the fresh, warm pasta really makes this dish. The pasta warms the veggies up, but just slightly. This will make a great summer meal. For us, this made two generous servings, though to be honest, we could have made it three, especially if it were served with some crusty garlic bread.

A word to the wise: It's asparagus season! If you're into the stuff, which I sure am, now is the time to get the best flavor at the lowest price. We are about halfway through the season, with a month to go. Steam it, grill it, boil it, whatever you like - just don't miss it!

Quote of the Day: "Life is a combination of magic and pasta." ~ Federico Fellini