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Close-up of a bowl of lemon pasta salad.
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5 from 1 vote

Pasta Salad with Lemon

This tuna pasta salad is packed with Mediterranean flavors like tomatoes, olives, tuna and a fantastic lemon garlic dressing. It's so delicious, juicy, light and ready in no time.
Prep Time12 mins
Total Time10 mins
Course: pasta, Salad
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: Tuna pasta salad
Servings: 3 servings
Calories: 495kcal
Author: Katia

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb (220 grams) dried pasta (fusilli, penne, farfalle...)
  • 1½ cup (250 grams) cherry tomatoes, cut in halves or in slices
  • 1 can (5-oz/140 grams) tuna, in oil or in water (optional)
  • 1/3 cup (60 grams) black, green, or mixed olives, pitted
  • 2-3 stalks celery, sliced
  • 1 large lemon, juice and zest
  • 3 Tbsps olive oil or extra virgin olive oil, plus more to taste
  • 1 small garlic clove, grated or minced
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Cook your pasta until al dente, drain, then rinse under cold water and drain again. 
    You want to bring the temperature down, and dress your pasta when cold, not warm.
  • While pasta is cooking, place all the other ingredients in a large salad bowl. 
  • Season with plenty of salt and freshly ground pepper and toss well.
  • Add cooked pasta to the other ingredients and mix thoroughly, taste and season again before serving. Also, you might want to add extra lemon juice or olive oil.
  • You can enjoy straight away or store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Pasta salad gets better as it rests and it tastes even better the next day.

Notes

  • STORAGE: This tuna pasta salad keeps very well and it will last for 3-4 days.  Store it in airtight container and place in the refrigerator.
  • TUNA: look for a brand that uses responsibly sourced and high quality tuna. I used Wild Planet brand.
  • OLIVES: green olives or kalamata olives work very well. I used mixed unpitted olives, but I strongly recommend you to go for pitted olives, especially if you serve this pasta salad to children.
  • PASTA: short pasta like fusilli, conchiglie, farfalle, penne work fine. However, have a proper look at the label and go for durum wheat semolina pasta, it's a bit more expensive than basic pasta, but it’s resilient and has a more robust texture, the best choice when it comes to salad pasta recipes.
NOTE: Nutritional values are estimates only.

Nutrition

Calories: 495kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 462mg | Potassium: 548mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 632IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 3mg