Tuna Macaroni Salad Deluxe

We had a couple pieces of Albacore Tuna in the freezer from our Sitka Salmon Shares and I have been exploring what to do with them when along came Chef Dennis’ recipefor Tuna Macaroni Salad Deluxe on his Ask Chef Dennis blog which used canned albacore tuna.  I modified the recipe for the amount of tuna I had and changed the directions a little but you can visit his site for the original recipe and more pics like this.

Tuna Pasta Salad – Adapted from Ask Chef Dennis

Ingredients:

16 ounces shaped pasta (I used farvalle)

22 ounces fresh Albacore Tuna

1 1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 2/3 tbsp Dijon mustard

5/8 cup celery diced

¼ cup red onions diced

grape tomatoes cut in half

3 ounces cheddar cheese cut into small cubes approx. ¼ inch by ¼ inch

7 slices bacon, chopped, cooked crisp, and drained

5/8 cup green olives chopped or sliced

5/8 cup carrots shredded (I used a vegetable peeler)

4 tsp Italian parsley finely chopped

1 tsp sugar (I never add sugar to savory dishes)

5/8 tsp sea salt more to taste

¼ tsp black pepper more to taste

Instructions:

1. Mix together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and seasonings to make the dressing. Mix well and refrigerate until needed.

2. Spray a dish with Pam, add the tuna, cover with foil and roast in a 350F oven to an internal temp of 130F.

3. Flake the cooked tuna with a fork.

4. Cook the pasta al dente in salted water and drain.

5. Add the onions, celery, olives, carrots and parsley to the hot pasta pan and top with the hot cooked pasta (will soften the veggies a little). Add the tuna and mix well.

6. When cooled enough to not melt the cheese add the dressing, grape tomato halves, crispy bacon, and diced cheese and mix well.

7. Refrigerate the salad for 1-2 hours or overnight to let the flavors build.

The Verdict:

I made it during the afternoon and let it sit on the counter until suppertime so we ate it at room temperature and it was excellent.

Then it went into the fridge and the next day we ate it cold and it was equally delicious so I guess it’s a matter of how you prefer it. I think I would prefer chilled but not right from the fridge cold.

I thought it was an outstanding use of the tuna and will be our version of tuna pasta salad from now on.  It must be made again and I'll use the same amount of the canned albacore.

Photos can be enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

4/29/21 event dates