Cold Summer Supper: Tuna Pasta Salad

     It has been a very rainy July so far and I really needed a break from grilling in the rain!  I decided to make an old favorite, a cold tuna pasta salad.  In the past I cooked about 6 ounces of pasta for the salad and baked fresh-fruit muffins for extra carbohydrates for my husband, but this summer I needed to cut out some of those carbs.  
     Again, my husband gave me his target range which I combined with my Points Plus value range and came up with 3 ounces of uncooked pasta shells (which with my brand was 63 total carbohydrates).  That is not much pasta so I needed to bulk the dish up with more vegetables than my usual celery, onion, sweet pickle and a bit of bell pepper.  If a little bell pepper is good, more should be even better - and it was!  

     The shots of colorful veggies throughout the dish are visually appealing and the crunch is very satisfying - a winning combination.  Some delicious fresh fruit replaced the muffins and added a sweet and juicy compliment.  We Weight Watchers are able to enjoy fresh fruit for "free" but fresh fruit comes with a low price tag for everyone; an ounce of fresh melon, watermelon, pineapple or strawberries is only 2 carbs - so indulge and enjoy summer's colorful bounty!

Crisp vegetables, tender pasta shells and canned tuna in a tangy dressing.

Tuna Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

• 3 ounces uncooked medium shell pasta (cook until al dente and hold in ice water)
• A 12-ounce can of chunk-style water packed tuna, well drained
• 6 tablespoons Light Miracle Whip (my preference)
• 1 generous teaspoon Sriracha
• Bread and Butter Pickle Chips, chopped (6 chips)
• A small red onion, sliced into thin crescents
• Half a red pepper, sliced into thin crescents
• Half a green pepper, sliced into thin crescents
• Half an orange or yellow pepper, sliced into thin crescents
• 2 ribs of celery, cut on the diagonal into thin slices

For eye-appeal cut your raw veggies into approximately the same size and shape, whether sliced or diced.

Putting It Together:

     Put your pasta water on (a covered pot heats faster than uncovered) - don't forget to salt it.  Measure out your pasta and have it at hand.  F.Y.I: This recipe could easily handle twice as much pasta.  Do not overcook the pasta since it softens a bit as it mellows in the frig - overcooked pasta will get even mealier in the refrigerator!  Rinse the cooked pasta and hold it in a bowl or pot of ice water until you're ready to assemble the salad.   

     Rinse, trim and cut your vegetables in a similar size and shape for better eye appeal; place in a large serving bowl.  After all, it is said that we eat with our eyes first.  I've found that raw onion can be a bit too harsh (even red Vidalia), so to mellow the flavor, place the cut raw pieces in a bowl of ice water for a few minutes.  Just drain the onion pieces onto a paper towel before adding them to the other veg.  

A healthy balance of ingredients, all ready to combine. 

     Cut and add the pickle chips (I love the sweet-sour tang with the heat from the sriracha), the well-drained pasta, the drained tuna (averages about 8 ounces after drained), the light Miracle Whip (or your choice of mayo, yogurt, etc.), sriracha and a little salt and black pepper to the bowl.  Stir gently to combine, check your seasoning and heat, adjust if necessary.  I like to spoon the pasta salad onto old-school crispy iceberg lettuce - reminds me of tuna salad sandwiches!    

A summer's bounty of Power Foods!

     Weight Watcher's Recipe Builder estimated a value of 21 Plus Points for the entire recipe (made as written above).  The recipe made 5 cups of pasta salad, each 1-cup serving equaling 4 Plus Points.  With the lettuce base and side of fresh fruit with this Pasta Tuna Salad, there's no worry about fulfilling daily fruit/veggie Power Food guidelines!