Mediterranean Tuna and Pasta Salad
By: Leah Rodrigues
Published: April 21, 2013

As the weather warms up, you'll want to to be cooking less and eating more refreshing dishes.  This Mediterranean tuna and pasta salad is one of those dishes.  Chunks of tuna (Spanish, packed in olive oil if you can afford it) are mixed with a ton of veggies and al dente pasta.  This salad gets better the longer it sits because the flavors get to know each other and meld together.  Ideally, you'll want to make it in the morning and serve the pasta salad in the evening.
Tuna Pasta Salad
 
Ingredients:
4 ounces rotini or pasta of choice
	12 raw green string beans, washed and ends removed
	120 grams tuna (drained solids from 170 g can), approx 4 ounces
	1/2 cup artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
	1/2 cup sliced black olives
	1 tomato, roughly chopped, or several halved grape tomatoes
	1/4 cup onion, chopped
	2 tablespoons lemon juice
	2 teaspoons olive oil
	1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Cook pasta to al dente, drain, rinse, and refrigerate for at least an hour.
In medium saucepan, bring about 1 cup of water to a boil. Add green beans and cook for one minute. Remove immediately from heat, drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. (This is called blanching - it doesn't quite cook them but does bring out the color)
Remove beans from sauce pan and cut them into pieces about 1 inch long.
In large bowl mix tuna, artichoke hearts, olives, tomato, onion, and green beans. Stir gently to mix. Add pasta to mixture and stir again.
In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice, olive oil and minced garlic. Stir toblend, then pour over contents of large bowl.Stir again.
Divide mixture between 2 bowls or plates, and season with salt and pepper.