Fresh
Suhoor Lemon Tuna Fusilli Salad
Suhoor needs to keep you going through a long fast — this pasta salad does exactly that. Cibo di Italia Fusilli tossed with tinned tuna, briny olives, crisp cucumber and a bright lemon dressing is full of slow-release carbs and protein. Make it the night before and it is ready in seconds when the alarm goes off before fajr.
Ingredients
- 400 g Cibo di Italia Fusilli
- 320 g tinned tuna in olive oil — drained — two 160g tins
- 1 piece large cucumber — quartered lengthways, seeds removed, diced
- 200 g cherry tomatoes — halved
- 100 g pitted olives — green or black, roughly chopped
- 4 tbsp capers — rinsed
- 1 piece red onion — very finely diced — soak in cold water 5 minutes to mellow
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp lemon juice — about 1.5 lemons
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 pinch chilli flakes — optional
- to taste salt and black pepper
- 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley — chopped
Method
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Step 1. Cook the fusilli in plenty of well-salted boiling water for 9–10 minutes until just tender — for a pasta salad you want it slightly firmer than al dente as it will soften as it sits. Drain and rinse briefly under cold water to stop the cooking.
9 min
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Step 2. While the pasta cooks, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, dried oregano, chilli flakes (if using), salt and pepper in a small bowl.
2 min
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Step 3. Tip the warm drained fusilli into a large bowl. Pour over two-thirds of the dressing immediately and toss well — warm pasta absorbs dressing better than cold.
1 min
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Step 4. Drain the red onion from the cold water and pat dry. Add to the bowl along with the cucumber, cherry tomatoes, olives and capers.
1 min
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Step 5. Flake in the tuna, breaking it into generous chunks rather than tiny pieces. Fold everything together gently so the tuna stays in chunky pieces.
2 min
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Step 6. Taste and add the remaining dressing as needed. Season well. If eating now, scatter with parsley and serve. If making ahead for suhoor, cover and refrigerate overnight.
1 min
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Step 7. To serve from the fridge: let the salad sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, add a fresh squeeze of lemon and a little drizzle of olive oil to refresh, then toss and scatter with parsley.
Goes well with
A large glass of water with electrolyte-rich coconut water or a pinch of salt and lemon — essential hydration for suhoor.
Whole grain crackers or warm flatbread alongside a few slices of labneh — adds extra protein and dairy to sustain the fast.
A handful of dates and a banana to top up your energy stores before the fast begins.
Nutrition
Scaled to your servings
- 510kcalCalories26%
- 62gCarbohydrate24%
- 30gProtein60%
- 14gFat20%
The pasta we used
Cibo di Italia Fusilli
500g · Cooks in 9–11 minutes · Serves ~5
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