Italian Pasta Salad recipe using pantry staples.
Don’t you just love recipes that use simple pantry staples? Using basic ingredients from the pantry plus one or two fresh ingredients makes preparing a meal a snap! This recipe uses convenient ingredients that you will have in your pantry.
- dried pasta
- canned tuna
- dried tomatoes in oil
- stuffed green olives
- capers
- dried oregano
Just add fresh tomatoes to add tang and brightness to the dish.
What about leftovers?
A pasta recipe for summer
My cousin called this type of recipe Pasta Estiva or Summer Pasta. And it is the prefect dish for summer – fresh, cool and easily prepared. All that needs to be cooked is the pasta. In the time it takes to cook the pasta the “sauce” can be prepared.
This Italian Pasta salad recipe is one of my go to dishes – easily prepared and everyone loves it. If you love this salad, why not try my Brown Rice salad or Pumpkin and Spinach salad, these are just as easy!
Baci,
- 500 g pasta
- 185 g canned tuna in oil Italian style
- 3 tomatoes
- 1/2 cup stuffed green olives
- 1/3 cup dried tomatoes in oil
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 tablespoons oil from the dried tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- freshly cracked black pepper and salt to taste
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil and salt it well.
- Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. I like to taste a few minutes before the time is up to ensure it is not overcooked.
- In the meantime, drain the tuna and place into a large bowl, breaking it up.
- Chop the tomatoes coarsely, slice the green olives sundried tomatoes. Place in the bowl with the tuna, mix well. Finely chop capers and mix into remaining ingredients. Sprinkle with oregano.
- When the pasta is cooked, drain well and turn immediately into bowl with tuna and tomato mixture.
- Dress with oil from the sundried tomatoes, red wine vinegar and black pepper.
- Taste, and adjust seasoning if needed. Toss to combine well.
I like fusilli, the twirly one, but it's your choice
2pots2cook
11/12/2018 at 4:06 amLOL ! We both do exactly the same thing: cook more so we have office lunch the other day or another week dinner next day. Why not ?! ! For seasons ingredients make this one a keeper !
Marcellina
13/12/2018 at 9:48 pmHaha! I can’t imagine why not! I always cook extra, best thing!
Pauline
21/11/2018 at 12:17 pmMarcellina this looks delicious, and just might make it to my Christmas salad menu this year where I won’t be in my own kitchen. Knowing I can just buy these ingredients and throw it all together sounds great. Thanks for sharing. Pauline
Marcellina
25/11/2018 at 7:26 amIt’s perfect for exactly that!
zazacook
24/01/2012 at 10:18 pmWell, how yummy!!! This has to be so delicious 🙂
Fantastic "Pasta Estiva"!
shaz
07/01/2012 at 10:26 amHappy New Year Marcellina! This pasta sounds like it definitely fits the bill for summer. I'm totally into quick and easy (but tasty) dishes this time of year. I make a fresh tomato pasta very often using skinned fresh tomatoes, garlic, lemon rind, balsamic vinegar, capers, olive oil, parsley and salt (I think it's a Bill Granger recipe) and the only cooking needed is for the pasta 🙂
Will definitely try this out to vary things up a bit in my house.
Claudia
06/01/2012 at 3:43 pmEven though it is mid-winter n Minnesota – the combination of tuna, vegetables and pasta is classic and I would love some today.
Teresa
06/01/2012 at 10:18 amQui il tempo e bello ma fa molto freddo, mi godo il tuo piatto aspettando impaziente l'estate che verrà un bacio a presto!!!:-)
Simona Mastantuono
06/01/2012 at 7:56 amdavvero splendido il tuo ultimo pane ti seguo simmy tanto volentieri