Lemony Pasta Salad, or Insalata di Pasta Profumata al Limone: I have harped so much on hot weather of late that a little more now won't hurt; this will be quite refreshing on a hot day. To serve 4 you'll need:
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 14 ounces (350 g) butterfly pasta
- 4 carrots, peeled
- 12 ounces (300 g) drained tuna packed in oil, crumbled
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 3 tablespoons minced parsley and basil
- The juice of 2 lemons
- The grated zest of an organic lemon
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Salt & pepper
Preparation:
Grate the carrots directly into a bowl. Crumble the tuna into the bowl as well, add the garlic, the lemon juice and zest, stir in 5 tablespoons of the oil, season lightly with salt, dust with a healthy grating of pepper, mix well, and chill the mixture, covered, for at least an hour in the fridge.Bring pasta water to a boil, salt it, and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of oil over it before cooking the pasta. Drain it when it's still fairly firm (you want it to be al dente when you serve the salad, so you don't want it too soft to begin with) and spread it over a cloth to cool. Stir the pasta into the tuna mixture, season the pasta with the minced herbs, and sprinkle the remaining oil over it if necessary.
If you don't plan to serve it immediately, cover it and keep it chilled in the refrigerator.
Note: You can also use fresh tuna; you'll need 2 8-ounce tuna steaks, which you will want to grill 3-4 minutes per side (season them with salt, pepper, and lemon juice), and then skin, bone, and dice.
