Greek Pasta with Tuna, Olives and Feta

Hello and welcome! How about a quick and easy Greek Pasta to kick off the week? I love this dish because it’s great hot and cold; so it makes for easy leftovers and meal prep. I found this extra large fusilli that works really well to grab the herbs, feta and little chunks of tuna, for a perfect bite every time. Regular fusilli or tubular pasta like penne will work great too. This recipe takes just about as much time as it takes for the pasta to cook, it’s super quick – so let’s get right to it!

Nothing in this recipe needs cooking aside from the pasta. We have roughly chopped fresh herbs, grape or cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives, butter and Parmesan mixing into the cooked pasta. I suppose you might have to toast the panko breadcrumbs if you don’t have some already on hand. Let’s start with the pasta water. Get 4 quarts of water set to boil over high heat.

Got Toasted Breadcrumbs?

Meanwhile, if you need to toast some panko, just get a 12-inch nonstick pan heating over medium heat. Drizzle in a little olive oil and swirl it around the pan. When the oil is hot, pour in up to 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs. Shake the pan lightly to get the panko evenly covering the pan. Then let the panko get toasted, watch the breadcrumbs and shake the pan regularly to evenly toast the panko. Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. When the panko is golden, remove from heat and let cool before transferring to a jar.

Pasta

When the water is boiling, salt the water with 2 tablespoons of Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. Cook the pasta according to the package directions for just shy of al dente. This is usually about 1 minute less than the package directions for al dente. Scoop out 2 cups of the pasta water and set aside before draining the pasta.

Add the drained pasta back to the pot, turn the heat to medium-low and add 2 tablespoons butter along with 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Stir vigorously until the butter is melted and the pasta water has thickened slightly. Add the Grape tomatoes and Kalamata olives. Stir in the chopped fresh dill and parsley. Stir vigorously to fully incorporate the herbs.

Then add 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Drizzle about 1/4 cup more hot pasta water and stir vigorously to fully mix in and melt the parmesan. Some herbs might stick to the cheese and clump a bit. But don’t let that worry you too much. Cut the heat and we’re ready to serve.

Finishing The Greek Pasta

Our Greek Pasta is almost there! Portion the pasta, tomatoes and olives into wide shallow bowls. We will top each serving with jarred tuna fillets, feta cheese and the toasted breadcrumbs. The Tonnino brand tuna fillets packed in olive oil are my favorite. One 6.7 ounce jar is enough for two servings. Break up each fillet into bite-size pieces and arrange on top of the pasta.

Then sprinkle feta over the dish and top with a sprinkling of breadcrumbs.

A couple cranks of fresh cracked black pepper and a few reserved dill fronds completes the dish.

Greek Pasta

This is such a fresh-tasting dish. The herbs are punchy and bright; while the tuna is moist and tender. Grape tomatoes add a juicy pop, and the olives are briny, along with the creamy feta. The toasted panko adds a nice textural difference. Definitely pin this recipe – it will be a great option come summer! Another perfect use of the Tonnino tuna is my Mediterranean Tuna Salad with Pasta. It’s a cold noodle salad, which is great as spring rolls into town. Thank you so much joining me today, take care and be well. xo Kelly

Key Ingredient: Oil Packed Tuna

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Greek Pasta with Tuna, Olives and Feta

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Dinner, Main Course – Mediterranean

By Kelly Djalali – Serves: 2-4

Prep Time: 15 Minutes – Cooking Time: 10 Minutes – Total Time: ~25 Minutes

Herby, briny, fresh and bright, this Greek Pasta with tuna, olives and feta is great hot or cold. It's a quick, easy and healthy meal!

Ingredients

• 16 oz. Pasta like Fusilli, Penne or Rigatoni
• 2 tbsp. Butter
• 8-10 oz. Grape or Cherry Tomatoes
• 3/4-1 cup Kalamata Olives
• 1/2 cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
• 1/2 cup Chopped Fresh Dill, reserve a little for garnish
• 3/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 6-12 oz. Oil Packed Tuna (about 3 oz. per serving)
• 1/4 cup Crumbled Feta
• 2-4 tbsp. Toasted Breadcrumbs
• Kosher Salt and Cracked Black Pepper to Taste

Instructions

1

Get 4 quarts of water set to boil over high heat.

2

When the water is boiling, salt the water with 2 tablespoons of Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. Cook the pasta according to the package directions for just shy of al dente. This is usually about 1 minute less than the package directions for al dente. Scoop out 2 cups of the pasta water and set aside before draining the pasta.

3

Add the drained pasta back to the pot, turn the heat to medium-low and add 2 tablespoons butter along with 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Stir vigorously until the butter is melted and the pasta water has thickened slightly. Add the Grape tomatoes and Kalamata olives. Stir in the chopped fresh dill and parsley. Stir vigorously to fully incorporate the herbs.

4

Then add 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Drizzle about 1/4 cup more hot pasta water and stir vigorously to fully mix in and melt the parmesan. Some herbs might stick to the cheese and clump a bit. But don't let that worry you too much. Cut the heat and we're ready to serve.

5

Portion the pasta, tomatoes and olives into wide shallow bowls.

6

Break up each tuna fillet into bite-size pieces and arrange on top of the pasta.

7

Then sprinkle feta over the dish and top with a sprinkling of breadcrumbs.

8

A couple cranks of fresh cracked black pepper and a few reserved dill fronds completes the dish.

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