Tuna, Green Bean, and Potato Salad

     Inundated with green beans today, I decided to make Tuna, Green Bean, and Potato Salad. (Text below originally posted May 2009.  Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis)

     
     What a great salad this is!  I will be making it often this summer when the green beans from my garden are ready.  Be sure to use tuna that is canned in olive oil.  Also, the recipe calls for orzo, but I substituted Acini Di Pepe.  It's a tiny, tiny, tubular pasta.  If you can find it (I purchased the DaVinci brand), use it in this recipe.

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 pounds thin green beans, halved
• 2 large Red Bliss potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1 cup Acini Di Pepe, or orzo
• Two 4.5-ounce cans tuna in olive oil, drained
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup chopped basil
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1.  In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil with the lemon juice, garlic and oregano.  Season the dressing with salt and pepper.
2.  In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the green beans until tender, about 4 minutes.  Transfer the beans to a colander.  Add the potatoes to the pot and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.  Transfer the potatoes to the colander.  Add the Acini Di Pepe to the boiling water and cook until al dente; drain well.
3.  Add the green beans, potatoes and pasta to the dressing and toss gently to coat.  Fold in the tuna, cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs and season with salt and pepper.  Serve warm or at room temperature. 

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