This is my go-to marinated tomato salad that I look forward to every year and eat all summer long. With a heavy lean toward Mediterranean and Spanish cuisine, I love this salad that relies on fresh from the garden tomatoes and herbs like tarragon and parsley. And then mixes them with pantry staples like briny Castelvetrano olives, pasta, tuna, eggs, capers, anchovies and sherry vinegar.
Marinating the tomatoes first draws out some of their moisture creating this wonderful tomato infused dressing for the pasta salad. And it lends itself so well to using what you have on hand -- add in artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, chickpeas, cucumbers or sun-dried tomatoes. No need for a shopping list. No runs to the grocery store. Serve it with a piece of thick toasted crusty bread to soak up all that juicy tomato goodness.
As I write this, it is a brilliant sunny April day and have gardening top of mind, so took a trip to my favorite garden center to buy my tomato plants. I couldn't wait until August to make this, so swung by the grocer that has the "good" off-season tomatoes to further enable my spring fever, and then back home to the kitchen. Oh so good. This marinated tomato salad is something that I can eat all week long. And will! It just keeps getting better and better!
Ingredients
- extra-virgin olive oil
- sherry vinegar
- capers
- garlic cloves
- oil-cured anchovies (optional)
- kosher salt
- small to medium tomatoes or a mix of cherry
- lumache, conghiglie (shells) or orecchiette pasta
- solid white oil-packed tuna
- California Ripe Green olives
- pepperoncini peppers
- hard-cooked eggs
- fresh parlsey
- fresh tarragon
See recipe card for quantities.
Jump to RecipeInstructions
Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve.
Add olive oil, sherry capers, garlic, anchovies and salt to a large bowl.
Whisk to combine.
Add tomatoes to bowl.
Toss with the tomatoes, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 6 hours.
(Make sure to note how the tomatoes release liquid creating a tomato-infused dressing.)
Add pasta, tuna, olives and pepperoncini to the bowl.
Follow parsley, tarragon and hard boiled eggs. Gentle toss to combine.
Season the marinated tomato salad with more salt if needed. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with more parsley if desired.
Substitutions & Variations
- Pasta - while I used lumache pasta, conchiglie, orecchiette or even giggle, elbow or rotini will work
- Vinegar - sherry vinegar really hits home the Spanish notes, but if in a bind, use red wine vinegar or champagne vinegar
- Sun-dried Tomatoes -- consider adding in ⅓ cup diced sun-dried tomatoes for added umami
- Olives -- I used Castelvetrano olives here, but ripe green olives, kalamata or Manzanilla work equally as well.
- Add some "Heart" -- slice hearts of palm and add in. Or add in chopped artichoke hearts.
- Cucumber -- add a cup or two of diced English cucumbers
- Shrimp -- toss in a ½ pound of cooked cleaned medium shrimp instead of the tuna
- White Beans -- instead of the pasta, substitute a 15 oz. can of drained white beans for a little extra protein. Or, swap the tuna for white beans for a Vegetarian Option
- Chickpeas -- add a 15 oz. can of drained white beans
- Make it Spicy -- double the diced pepperoncini. Or whisk a pinch of hot pepper flakes into the marinade
- Gluten Free - use gluten free pasta
Equipment
- pasta pot
- colander
- large bowl
Storage
This just gets better and better as it sits to marinate in the refrigerator. (Sometimes I extend this salad's life by adding things to it as it marinates!)
This marinated tomato salad keeps in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
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Mediterranean Tuna Pasta with Marinated Tomatoes, Olives and Capers
Equipment
- pasta pot
- colander
- large bowl
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar plus more to taste
- 1-½ tablespoons capers
- 2 medium garlic cloves minced
- 3 anchovies minced
- 1-½ teaspoons kosher salt plus more to taste
- 2 pounds small to medium tomatoes cored and chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 8 ounces uncooked lumache conchiglie (shells) or orecchiette pasta, prepared according to package directions
- 7.7 ounces solid white tuna in olive oil lightly drained and flaked
- ¾ cup halved Castelvetrano olives (substitute Manzanilla)
- ⅓ cup chopped pepperoncini peppers
- 3 large hard-cooked eggs peeled and diced coarsely
- 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves roughly torn, plus more for garnish
- 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves roughly torn, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Whisk the olive oil, sherry capers, garlic, anchovies and salt in a large bowl. Toss with the tomatoes, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 6 hours.
- Add pasta, tuna, olives, pepperoncini, hard-cooked eggs parsley and tarragon to the bowl and gently toss together. Season with more salt if needed. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with more parsley if desired.
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