Bored of The Usual Pasta Salad Recipes? Here's 3 Interesting Alternatives

canned tuna

🥗Healthier: canned salmon

💰Cheaper: canned mackerel

Canned salmon offers similar health benefits with a different flavor.

pasta

🥗Healthier: whole wheat pasta

💰Cheaper: pasta made from rice

Whole wheat pasta adds fiber, while rice pasta is gluten-free.

olive oil

🥗Healthier: avocado oil

💰Cheaper: vegetable oil

Avocado oil has a higher smoke point and is rich in healthy fats.

lemon juice

🥗Healthier: lime juice

💰Cheaper: vinegar

Lime juice provides a similar acidity, while vinegar is often less expensive.

Place 250 grams of dried fusilli pasta into boiling heavily salted water.

Set a timer for 9 minutes to cook the pasta until just over al dente.

In a small saucepan, add 100 milliliters of extra virgin olive oil and heat it on low until it reaches around 125 Celsius (255 Fahrenheit).

Add drained, rinsed, and dried capers to the oil and fry for a few minutes until they burst and look crispy around the edges.

Strain the capers, catching the oil in a heat-proof container, and set them aside to cool.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and place it into a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil; toss and leave it to cool down.

In a mixing bowl, zest one lemon and add the juice of half the lemon.

Finely grate or mince one clove of garlic and add it to the bowl along with one heaped teaspoon of Dijon mustard, half a cup of finely chopped parsley, one tablespoon of picked thyme leaves, and one teaspoon of honey.

Mix the ingredients while pouring in the infused olive oil until you have a balanced dressing.

Add the cooled pasta, two-thirds of the crispy capers, and roughly half a tin of tuna (using the smaller flakes) to the bowl; mix well to coat the pasta in the dressing.

Plate the pasta salad and top with the remaining tuna flakes and crispy capers.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens