Pasta Salad Niçoise

Chances are that you already have the ingredients in your pantry for this main dish salad adapted from The Simple Art of EatingWell: 400 Easy Recipes, Tips and Techniques for Delicious, Healthy Meals (EatingWell).

The original recipe calls for fresh basil and chives, but as it’s the middle of winter in Michigan I made do with what I had.

Ingredients:

• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• tw0 cans (5-6 oz each) of water-packed tuna
• 1/2 cup diced jarred roasted red bell peppers
• 1 Tbsp dried basil
• 1/4 cup black olives (chopped)
• 2 Tbsp capers
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 12 ounces pasta

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except pasta and let sit while flavors blend. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and mix the tuna mixture with the pasta.

The Verdict:

I used huge pasta shape because that’s what I had, but I think the smaller macaroni would have worked better. Regardless, it was tasty and super fast to put together.

Nutrition info: 301 calories, 6 g fat, 16 g protein in 1 1/3 cup.

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