Are you in the mood for a fresh and tasty main course? Then my cold pasta with tuna and zucchini might be just what you need. It’s very easy to prepare and really delicious. The perfect spicy touch provided by the fresh chili pepper is something I highly recommend not to skip. Note that I’m not particularly fond of spicy flavors, but this slight heat fits perfectly here. An ideal main dish when it’s hot. It can be prepared well in advance and is therefore perfect for an office lunch or a beach picnic. The ingredients are few, and the whole process is simple. In short, a valid alternative to the usual cold rice.
Other cold pasta recipes you might be interested in:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer
Ingredients for the Cold Pasta with Tuna
- 12 oz short pasta (any shape)
- 1 yellow onion (medium-small)
- 1 fresh chili pepper
- 5.6 oz canned tuna in oil (drained weight)
- 10.5 oz zucchini (net weight without waste)
- 2.5 oz green olives in brine (drained weight)
- chives (a few stalks)
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
Tools
- 1 Pot
- 1 Colander
- 1 Salad Bowl
- 1 Pan
Preparation of the Cold Pasta with Tuna
Boil the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water, drain it al dente and immediately run it under a stream of cold water to stop the cooking. Then transfer it to a large bowl, dress it with a drizzle of oil and give it a quick stir.
Drain the tuna from its preserving oil, shred it with a fork, and add it to the pasta.
Trim the zucchini, wash them, and cut them into cubes.
Peel the onion and finely chop it. I used a super handy manual pull chopper. If you want to buy it, you can find it by clicking HERE.
In a large pan, heat a few tablespoons of oil before adding the onion and the fresh chili pepper cut into pieces.
Let it sizzle for a moment, then add the zucchini and sauté them over high heat until they are soft but still crisp: it will take about five minutes but the time depends on how large your cubes are. Once cooked, season with salt and pepper to taste.
Let them cool slightly before adding them to the pasta.
Drain the olives from the brine, slice them into rings, and add them to the pasta as well. Stir carefully to mix all the ingredients well.
Place the cold pasta with tuna and zucchini in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Enjoy! Paola
I take this opportunity to remind you that you can follow me on various social platforms to stay updated on the new recipes I publish. You can find me on Facebook (HERE), on Twitter (HERE), on Pinterest (HERE), on Instagram (HERE) and also on Tik Tok (@zenzero_limone). Thank you ♥!
