California Kitchen & Company

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Tuna Pasta Salad Nicoise:

Ingredients

1/2 pound fresh green beans, cut into 1” pieces and steamed until tender-crisp and cooled
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, or chopped ripe olives
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
½ cup chopped red bell pepper
16 cherry tomatoes, halved, or chopped Roma tomatoes
2 6 1/2-ounce cans water-packed tuna, drained and flaked
¾ to 1 pound rotini – more or less, depending on your preferences (I use whole wheat)
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced (optional)
2 tablespoons capers (optional)
Anchovy fillets (optional)

Combine green beans, olives, onion, bell pepper, and tomatoes in a large bowl. Pour dressing over vegetables and toss well. Let marinate in refrigerator 1 hour.

Cook rotini according to package directions. Rinse and drain well. Toss warm pasta with tuna and marinated vegetables. Top with egg, capers and anchovies if desired.

Dressing:
1 cup extra virgin olive oil (or may use 3/4 cup chicken broth and 1/4 cup oil)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, or more to taste
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 garlic cloves, minced
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Mix ingredients in blender. Use as much as desired to moisten salad; save the rest for future use.