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This post was sponsored by Genova Seafood. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.
Do you ever find yourself needing inspiration to do something different with certain ingredients in your kitchen? I know I do.
So when Genova Seafood asked me to come up with a Mediterranean-inspired meal using their canned tuna, I knew I needed to step outside of my typical tuna salad sandwich comfort zone.
Tuna is an ingredient I don't use often enough in my tiny kitchen. It's naturally high in protein and a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids.
And since February is National Heart Health month, now is a great time to take inventory of your heart-healthy food intake.
But heart-healthy does not need to be boring!
Flaky tuna is tossed with orzo, chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes and shallots and dressed in a tangy parsley-caper vinaigrette.
This combination is light yet substantial, perfect for both lunch and dinner. The sweetness of the sun-dried tomatoes goes beautifully with the tangy vinaigrette, and the chickpeas add a nice bit of creaminess.
The flavor and texture of the tuna is really outstanding! And I like that it's packed in pure olive oil without any additives or preservatives and certified wild-caught.
I stuffed the mixture in crisp Boston lettuce leaves and it was absolutely delicious! It would also be nice over a bed of mixed greens or even served as a straight up pasta salad without any lettuce.
This recipe is also a great make-ahead option - it gets better and better the longer it hangs out in the fridge. In fact, a platter full of endive leaves stuffed with this mix may just show up at my next dinner party - it would make such an elegant appetizer course!
📖 Recipe
Tuna and Orzo Lettuce Wraps with Parsley-Caper Vinaigrette
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 serving 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
Flaky tuna is tossed with orzo, chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes and shallots and dressed in a tangy parsley-caper vinaigrette.
Ingredients
For salad:
- 1 ½ cups uncooked orzo
- 1 (5 ounce) can Genova Solid Light Tuna in Olive Oil, drained
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced (drain if using oil packed)
- 2 tablespoons shallots, minced
- 1 (15.5 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
For vinaigrette:
- 3 tablespoons capers, drained
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Boston lettuce leaves, for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Stir in orzo and cook to al dente according to package directions (mine took 9 minutes). Rinse under cold water and drain well. Place pasta in a large bowl along with remaining salad ingredients.
- For vinaigrette, place capers, vinegar, garlic, parsley and pepper in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, scraping down sides as needed. Stream in oil with the motor running until smooth. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
- Pour vinaigrette over salad and mix well so all of the ingredients are coated. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours.
- To serve, spoon tuna-orzo mixture into lettuce leaves and enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 457
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 499 mg
- Fat: 20.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 46.5 g
- Fiber: 7.6 g
- Protein: 23.3 g
- Cholesterol: 13.8 mg
Genova Seafood sent over a gorgeous Mediterranean gift basket to help inspire me to create this meal, and they want to send one to one of my readers, too!
To enter to win, leave a comment below telling me your favorite way to use canned tuna at home. The contest will close on Friday, February 27, 2015 at 12 noon (Eastern Standard Time). One winner will be chosen via random.org and will be contacted via email to get mailing information. Prize will be shipped by the sponsor. U.S. residents only. Good luck, everyone!
UPDATE - The winner has been selected via random.org - CONGRATS to Krissie!
Katie says
I, unfortunately, never seem to do anything beyond a tuna salad (I like to put celery in along with chopped onion), but this has inspired me! This recipe sounds great!
Alisa Fleming says
Tuna in olive oil is a staple in our house, but I hadn't heard of this brand - definitely going to seek it out! Love this recipe - we do a tuna couscous often that is similar.
Becca Heflin says
I love how healthy this sounds, and wow, that vinaigrette sounds fantastic!
Lori H says
I used to spread tuna salad on a slice of bread, top it with cheese, and put it open faced under the broiler until the cheese melted and the bread crisped a bit. It was a little different than just having a cold tuna salad sandwich.
Dino Covelli says
I did this in college! Tuna melts, for the win!
Janel Gradowski says
I love a good tuna casserole, but I often use tuna in rice salads with capers and olives.
Sandra Meaders says
I like it in a salad.
Michelle Nahom says
I honestly don't use it that often (a tuna salad once in a while), but your recipe looks wonderful! I WILL try this. Thanks for the giveaway too...crossing my fingers. 🙂
Charisse Niles says
I use canned tuna in the classic tuna noodle casserole...our family favorite is the recipe from Cooking Light. In fact this inspired me to make the dish last night for dinner! Yummmm!!! :). Thanks for posting Ashley!!!
Jenniferanne says
My favorite way to use canned tuna is Tuna Quesadillas
Ashley Kolpak says
I love making tuna salad!! [email protected]
Brittany Koelmel says
I seriously love tuna sandwiches. I make them once a week!
Chickie Brewer says
My favorite way to eat tuna is in a BLT.. And this is the only time that I will use mayo!
Toni Masters Davis says
I eat a lot of green salad since I'm trying to lose weight and just basically eat healthier. I pretty much stopped eating red meats altogether. So, since the body needs protein, I've been using tuna in my salads every day. It tastes great, gives it a lot of flavor, and is very healthy....win, win!
Teressa Kloss says
I make tuna salad sandwiches
Lynne T. says
I like to make a salad of it using some chopped onions, raspberry flavored vinegar and a touch of olive oil (if it's tuna in water, otherwise no extra oil).
REBECCA PIERSON says
i love tuna and i love orzo, but never put the two together. i usually make tuna melts, or tuna noodle casserole. i would love to try this! looks great!
Kimberly M. says
My favorite way to use Tuna in a can is a old recipe I got from high school and it's a tuna ring. You add canned tuna to onion, celery,sharp cheese, pepper, egg, and parsley. Then you make a dough of Bisquick, milk, cheese, butter, salt, and pepper and scoop the tuna mixture in that. It's in the shape of a ring. You put slits in it so that it cooks through and you can make a cheese sauce which we don't. But it is really tasty.
Ann says
i love to make crunchy salads with tuna, especially using shredded cabbage. Something sweet and tangy.
Krissie says
My favorite way to use canned tuna is in a tuna noodle casserole
califkitties @ aol.com
BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen says
Congrats, Krissie! You've been selected as the winner. I'll be emailing you shortly for mailing info so your gift basket can be sent. Enjoy!