Fresh
Tuna & White Bean Fusilli Salad
Protein in two forms — tuna and white beans — make this a meal that actually fills you up. The dressing is a sharp lemon-caper vinaigrette that cuts through the richness beautifully. Cibo di Italia Classic Fusilli spirals hold the dressing in every curl and this salad tastes even better the next day, making it a reliable make-ahead option for lunchboxes and busy weeknights.
Ingredients
- 300 g Cibo di Italia Classic Fusilli
- 240 g tinned tuna in olive oil — drained — two small tins
- 400 g tinned white beans — cannellini or haricot — drained and rinsed
- 150 g cherry tomatoes — quartered
- 60 g pitted black olives — halved
- 2 tbsp capers — drained and roughly chopped
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp lemon juice — about 1 large lemon
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- to taste salt and black pepper
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley — finely chopped
- 1 piece small red onion — very finely sliced, soaked in cold water 5 minutes to mellow
Method
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Step 1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the fusilli for 9–11 minutes until al dente. Taste at 9.
11 min
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Step 2. While the pasta cooks, soak the sliced red onion in a small bowl of cold water — this takes away the raw sharpness in 5 minutes.
5 min
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Step 3. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice and Dijon mustard in a large bowl. Season well with salt and pepper.
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Step 4. Drain the fusilli and immediately add to the dressing while hot — the warm pasta soaks up the flavour as it cools.
1 min
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Step 5. Leave the pasta to cool for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn't clump.
5 min
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Step 6. Drain the red onion and pat dry. Add the tuna (break it into chunks), white beans, cherry tomatoes, olives, capers and red onion to the cooled pasta.
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Step 7. Fold everything together gently — you want the tuna in generous flakes, not mashed. Taste, adjust seasoning, scatter over parsley and serve. Keeps refrigerated for up to 2 days.
Goes well with
Griddled bread or crackers on the side.
Sparkling water with a sprig of fresh mint and a lemon wheel.
A handful of dates and a few almonds — a clean, satisfying finish.
Nutrition
Scaled to your servings
- 450kcalCalories23%
- 54gCarbohydrate21%
- 30gProtein60%
- 12gFat17%
The pasta we used
Cibo di Italia Fusilli
500g · Cooks in 9–11 minutes · Serves ~5
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