Pasta Tuna Salad

My mother used to make this pasta salad for me when I was a kid and I still love it. The funny thing is she doesn't really remember it at all. My kids don't like it but me and my husband can't get enough it of it. I usually only make it during the summer and it seems to be a big hit at our picnic's up at the great hill. It is a great salad to bring to a party because it goes well with just about anything. Try it and let me know what you think.

Ingredients
1 pound fusili pasta
1 can of tuna drained
1 8 ounce can of sliced black olives
1 red bell pepper diced
2 stalks celery diced
4 scallions sliced thinly
2 pickles cut up and diced

Dressing

1 1/2 cups of mayo
2 tablespoons pickle juice
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
salt and pepper
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

Directions

In a large pot boil water and cook pasta according to instructions. Drain pasta and rinse with cold water. Drain well and mix in all the other ingredients. Whisk together mayo, mustard, pickle juice, salt and pepper and Italian seasoning, until combined well. Add dressing to the pasta mixture. Cover and sit in refrigerator until ready to serve. I usually make mine early in the day so all the flavors blend together.

Tuna Melt

I am a huge lover of sandwiches. One of my favorites which I originally learned how to make when I worked in the Nordstrom's cafe is the tuna melt. To me tuna should be simple with a little texture in it. In my tuna salad I like Albacore chunk tuna, chopped celery, chopped pickle, chopped scallions or red onion and salt and pepper. However, if you don't have all of these things in your fridge the most important is the onion. If I don't have the onion I don't even bother making the sandwich. If you add pickle don't add salt. All of them together make for a delish tuna salad. I don't like a lot of mayo in mine because I think it makes the sandwich to soggy. I add on top sharp cheddar cheese and as you can see I am not stingy with it. I Broil it for about 1 1/2 minutes with the top bun buttered and toasty. My favorite bun for this sandwich is the brioche. Not everyone can find brioche rolls and they can be quite expensive. My second favorite is hamburger bun with sesame seeds. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Ingredients

I can albacore tuna

2 tbs red onion diced

2 tbs mayo

2 tbs diced celery

salt and pepper

2 slices sharp cheddar cheese

1 brioche bun

Directions

Drain tuna and then add to a small bowl. In this bowl mix in red onion, mayo, diced celery, and salt and pepper. Add two large spoon fulls to the bottom of your bun. Cover with cheddar cheese so that you barely see the tuna. Butter the top bun and broil for 1 to 2 minutes. Be careful not to burn. Nothing worse than a burnt bun and lets face it these buns are not cheap.