Summer Addiction Pasta Salad

Name: Summer Addiction Pasta Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 27 min
Yield: 10-12 serving(s)
Ingredients: 1 lb vary-coloured pasta shells (I get the imported Italian stuff as the colours stay brighter and prettier after cooking); 2 (15 1/2 ounce) cans kidney beans, drained; 2 (11 ounce) cans canned corn niblets, drained; 2 (6 ounce) cans tuna packed in oil, one drained, the other not; 1 red pepper, chopped into small pieces; 1 green pepper, chopped into small pieces; 1 yellow pepper, chopped into small pieces; 1 red onion, minced; 10 gherkins, chopped; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 3/4 cup mayonnaise (I always use Hellman's); 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Submitted by evelynathens

"I make up this salad just about every weekend. Not only is it fresh-tasting and nutritious, but it gets even better with each passing day (in the fridge). I guess I could call this our 'Summer Addiction'."

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Ready In:: 27mins
Ingredients:: 13
Serves:: 10-12

ingredients

1 lb vary-coloured pasta shells (I get the imported Italian stuff as the colours stay brighter and prettier after cooking)
2 (15 1/2 ounce) cans kidney beans, drained
2 (11 ounce) cans canned corn niblets, drained
2 (6 ounce) cans tuna packed in oil, one drained, the other not
1 red pepper, chopped into small pieces
1 green pepper, chopped into small pieces
1 yellow pepper, chopped into small pieces
1 red onion, minced
10 gherkins, chopped
Dressing
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 ¹⁄₂ tablespoons red wine vinegar
³⁄₄ cup mayonnaise (I always use Hellman's)
¹⁄₂ cup grated parmesan cheese

directions

Cook the pasta until al dente.
Drain and run under cold water.
Drain well.
In a large bowl, combine pasta with kidney beans, corn, tuna (including the oil in one tin), onion, peppers and gherkins.
Combine all dressing ingredients and pour over pasta.
Toss to coat and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to cool and blend flavours.
This is great even 2-3 days after making!

Questions & Replies

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Reviews

this made a nice lunch for us today, and i have plenty left for lunch tomorrow. i used 1 can of black beans , 1 can of corn, and i added some fresh chopped chives. this is a nice basic dish and i could see adding zucchini, tomatoes, mushrooms or any other fresh veggies you have in your fridge

chia2160
Very good tuna/pasta salad that makes a lot of salad--the leftovers are great for lunches during the week. Since we use tuna packed in water, I increased the olive oil to compensate for the lack of oil in our tuna thus using 6 tablespoons (instead of the amount listed) and I also used baby dill pickles instead of gherkins. Thanks Evelyn for posting this tasty salad.

ellie_
Evelyn, Thank you so much for the post! I have made this salad 3 times now and everytime it gets better and better! I love the vibrant colours and the sharp contrast of the sour pickles and the sweet corn! As you have said, it does get better with time so make sure you make at least a night ahead for really yummy results.

Catherine Wall
I was really interested in making a pasta salad and the combination of ingredients was interesting. This was 3 stars on the first day and quite nice but definitely 5 stars on the second! This is a salad which improves dramatically with age and is definitely a good make-ahead meal.Efharisto Evelyn!

joanna_giselle
This is fantastic! I've made this exactly as written three or four times. I make additional dressing to serve with the salad on the side as the pasta seems to absorb the dressing while chilling in the fridge. The dressing is wonderful and I've used it in other pasta salads. Thank you Evelyn for posting our favorite summer salad.

HouseDragon

Tweaks

Very good tuna/pasta salad that makes a lot of salad--the leftovers are great for lunches during the week. Since we use tuna packed in water, I increased the olive oil to compensate for the lack of oil in our tuna thus using 6 tablespoons (instead of the amount listed) and I also used baby dill pickles instead of gherkins. Thanks Evelyn for posting this tasty salad.

ellie_