Tri-Color Pasta Salad with Tuna

6. Tri-Color Pasta Salad with Tuna
Breathe some excitement into lunchtime with a colorful jarred salad that takes just 15 minutes to prepare!

Forget about a boring tuna sandwich for lunch - with just 10 minutes of work, this light and colorful tuna salad will fill you up without weighing you down.

Photo: Maya Visnyei

By James Smith

Serves: 1
Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 cup tri-color brown rice fusilli or rotini pasta
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 tsp dried Italian seasoning
• 2 tbsp finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes (dry-packed)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 oz BPA-free unsalted canned tuna, in water (TRY: Wild Planet Wild Albacore Tuna – No Salt Added)
• 1/4 cup mixed baby greens
• 1/2 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 loosely packed cup fresh basil leaves
• 1 tbsp low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese, optional

EQUIPMENT:

• 1 2-cup glass jar with lid

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cook pasta according to package directions, until slightly more cooked than al dente. Drain and spread pasta on a small baking sheet to cool. (NOTE: Spreading pasta on a baking sheet prevents it from becoming a solid mass.) Meanwhile, prepare dressing: In a small saucepan, combine vinegar, Italian seasoning and 2 tsp water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat immediately and add sun-dried tomatoes. Whisk in oil and salt and pepper. Set aside to cool slightly. Build salad: Add dressing to bottom of jar. Layer tuna, pasta, greens, tomatoes, basil and mozzarella, if desired. Cover with lid and refrigerate. Just before serving, shake jar to distribute dressing. Make up to 1 day in advance.

Nutrients per jar of pasta salad with tuna: Calories: 290, Total Fat: 12 g, Sat. Fat: 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g, Carbs: 27 g, Fiber: 3 g, Sugars: 10 g, Protein: 20 g, Sodium: 375 mg, Cholesterol: 15 m
g