Pasta and tuna salad with zucchini and sundried tomato pesto

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients for Pasta and tuna salad with zucchini and sundried tomato pesto

250 g pasta twists or spirals, such as fusilli or rotini, or other shapes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 zucchinis, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons caster sugar
2 tablespoons sundried tomato pesto
1 tablespoon white or red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons capers
6 tomatoes, skinned, halved and cut into thin wedges
200 g canned tuna in springwater, drained and roughly flaked
6 black olives (not oil-packed), stoned and halved
fresh continental parsley to garnish 

Preparation method for Pasta and tuna salad with zucchini and sundried tomato pesto

1. Cook the pasta twists in boiling water for approximately 10–12 minutes, or according to the packet instructions, until they are just al dente. Drain the pasta well, rinse well with cold water and then drain again very thoroughly.

2. While the pasta is cooking, heat half the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and garlic, and fry for 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion and garlic are softened. Add the remaining olive oil and the zucchinis and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.

3. Add the sugar, the sundried tomato pesto, white or red wine vinegar and capers to the onion and zucchini mixture. Heat for a few seconds, stirring until all the ingredients have combined to form a dressing. 

4. Stir in the tomatoes, then transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and set aside to cool. 

5. Add the drained pasta to the bowl, then gently mix in the tuna and black olives. Divide the salad among 4 plates or transfer to a large serving bowl. Serve garnished with some continental parsley leaves.