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.

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Ortiz Tuna Orzo Salad

Yield: 4

Author: Tierney Larson

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.

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

1. 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.
2. Place the pine nuts in a small dry pan over medium heat and toast until lightly golden and fragrant. Remove and let cool.
3. In a large bowl, toss the ribbons of kale in a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt and set aside.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.