Ortiz Tuna Orzo Salad
Nothing like a light pasta salad on a hot summer day. Give this al dente pasta a salty spin with olives and capers, a dance with some fancy tuna with some lemon please.
Servings: 4
Recipe by: Tierney Larson
Ingredients:
2 cans white tuna packed in olive oil (Ortiz is a great choice)
1 shallot minced
1 lemon, zested and juiced
a pinch of sugar
Kosher salt
8oz orzo pasta
extra virgin olive oil
1 tbl sherry vinegar
2 1/2 tbl capers, rinsed and roughly chopped
3 tbl pine nuts
1 4.6 oz jar of Castelvetrano olives, pitted and roughly chopped
4 slices of ciabatta bread (or any crusty bread)
1 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes quartered
half a bunch of lacinato kale, rinsed, dried and sliced into thin ribbons
1/4 cup of basil, sliced thinly
Ok so…place the shallot in a bowl with half of the lemon juice, a pinch of sugar and a pinch of kosher salt, let macerate while you prep the rest.
Place the pine nuts in a small dry pan over medium heat and toast until lightly golden and fragrant. Remove and let cool.
In a large bowl, toss the ribbons of kale in a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt and set aside.
Cook the orzo in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and toss with a drizzle of olive oil, a few good grinds of black pepper, the lemon zest and the rest of the lemon juice. Spread out on a sheet tray to cool.
Once cooled, add everything to the large bowl with the kale…so the orzo, olives, capers, tomatoes, pine nuts, basil, shallots and lemon juice and give a toss to combine. Taste and add more lemon or a pinch of salt if necessary. Then drain the tuna and add it to the salad. Give it a gentle toss and taste again. Let it sit to give the flavors a chance to meld.
In a heavy bottomed skillet, heat 4 tbl of olive oil over medium high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the ciabatta slices and let them get golden brown about 3-4 min per side. Sprinkle them with some salt and serve alongside the salad.
Ortiz Tuna Orzo Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cans white tuna packed in olive oil (Ortiz is a great choice)
- 1 shallot minced
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- a pinch of sugar
- Kosher salt
- 8oz orzo pasta
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbl sherry vinegar
- 2 1/2 tbl capers, rinsed and roughly chopped
- 3 tbl pine nuts
- 1 4.6 oz jar of Castelvetrano olives, pitted and roughly chopped
- 4 slices of ciabatta bread (or any crusty bread)
- 1 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes quartered
- half a bunch of lacinato kale, rinsed, dried and sliced into thin ribbons
- 1/4 cup of basil, sliced thinly
Instructions
- Ok so…place the shallot in a bowl with half of the lemon juice, a pinch of sugar and a pinch of kosher salt, let macerate while you prep the rest.
- Place the pine nuts in a small dry pan over medium heat and toast until lightly golden and fragrant. Remove and let cool.
- In a large bowl, toss the ribbons of kale in a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt and set aside.
- Cook the orzo in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and toss with a drizzle of olive oil, a few good grinds of black pepper, the lemon zest and the rest of the lemon juice. Spread out on a sheet tray to cool.
- Once cooled, add everything to the large bowl with the kale…so the orzo, olives, capers, tomatoes, pine nuts, basil, shallots and lemon juice and give a toss to combine. Taste and add more lemon or a pinch of salt if necessary. Then drain the tuna and add it to the salad. Give it a gentle toss and taste again. Let it sit to give the flavors a chance to meld.
- In a heavy bottomed skillet, heat 4 tbl of olive oil over medium high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the ciabatta slices and let them get golden brown about 3-4 min per side. Sprinkle them with some salt and serve alongside the salad.
