Pasta salad with tuna, corn and olives Italian style Recipe
This pasta salad is a quick, filling dish inspired by Italian flavors – tuna, olives, corn and a simple olive oil and lemon dressing. Perfect for a lunchbox, picnic, or as a party table dish.
A simple, quick pasta salad that combines pantry staples like canned tuna and corn with fresh vegetables and a light Italian-style dressing. It’s filling, easy to transport and perfect for meal prep.
Chef's tips
Don’t overcook the pasta – al dente pasta holds its shape better and doesn’t turn mushy in the salad. If you plan to serve the salad the next day, you can slightly undercook the pasta so it stays pleasantly firm.
How to serve
Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature. It works well as a standalone lunch, a light dinner, or as part of a buffet with other salads and grilled dishes.
Ingredients
- short pasta (fusilli, farfalle, penne) - 300 g
- canned tuna in its own juice drained weight - 160 g
- canned corn drained weight - 150 g
- pitted black olives - 50 g
- cherry tomatoes - 150 g
- red onion - 0.5 piece
- olive oil - 4 tablespoon
- lemon juice freshly squeezed - 2 tablespoon
- fresh parsley chopped - 2 tablespoon
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Preparation
- Cook the pasta in a large amount of salted water according to the package instructions, preferably al dente (slightly firm to the bite). Drain and briefly rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside to cool.
- Drain the tuna and flake it with a fork. Drain the corn. Slice the olives.
- Cut the cherry tomatoes in halves or quarters. Slice the red onion into very thin slivers.
- In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, lemon juice, a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the chopped parsley.
- Add the cooled pasta, tuna, corn, olives, tomatoes and onion to the bowl with the dressing. Gently but thoroughly mix so the dressing coats all the ingredients.
- Taste and, if needed, season with more salt, pepper or lemon juice. Before serving, you can chill the salad in the fridge for about 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
This is one of those reliable, no-fuss recipes that’s perfect when you need something tasty and satisfying from ingredients you usually have on hand. The lemony dressing keeps it fresh and bright, even after a night in the fridge.
