Farfalle With Tuna in a Basil Lemon Dressing

Submitted by DeeCooks

"This is the quickest summer dinner we all love. The possibilities are endless as far as playing with it. I've added, at various times, roasted red peppers, capers, peas and toasted pignoli for some crunch. I first had this at a little deli in Los Gatos that has long since closed, but found something similar on Epicurious and adapted it a bit. This is a life saver when you're tired!"

 

• Ready In: 20mins
• Ingredients: 8
• Serves: 2-3

ingredients

• 1⁄2 lb farfalle pasta (you can use any pasta, really, I just like this shape as it works well with the tuna)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 lemon
• 1⁄4 cup fresh basil leaf, packed
• 6 ounces albacore tuna in water, well drained
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (I prefer sweet 100s left whole.)
• 1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil (more as needed)
• salt & freshly ground black pepper

directions

1. Boil pasta in salted water.
2. Mince garlic.
3. Zest lemon to get one tablespoon zest. Juice the lemon. (About two tablespoons.).
4. Shred basil into thin strips.
5. Whisk together garlic, zest, lemon juice, olive oil in a large bowl and toss in tuna, breaking it up, add basil and tomatoes.
6. Drain pasta well and add to bowl. Toss well.
7. If pasta seems dry, add either a little pasta cooking water or more olive oil.
8. Serve warm, or room temperature.

Reviews

[PaulaG]

The recipe was tripled and taken for a potluck at work today. Everyone really enjoyed the delicious blend of flavors. I added capers, pine nuts and reduced the amount of oil considerably. This makes a very pretty dish.

 

[Ilysse]

I loved this but the kids and DH did not. I doubled everything except the lemon, which is good 'cause I think there was enough lemon flavor in one lemon. I also used tuna in olive oil. Very easy and quick to make and very tasty. Thanks for posting!

 

[hepcat1]

Made for Zaar Tag...I was really enjoying this pasta, and was torn between four and five stars, when I remembered DeeCooks suggestion to add capers...and it jumped to a five star instantly with that addition. Very fresh flavors that make a perfect pasta for lunch or a light dinner. I had to zest two whole lemons to get a full tablespoon of zest, otherwise everything went exactly as written (although I couldn't find where to add the basil, so I just mixed it in right before the tuna). Thanks for a great recipe, DeeCooks!