Shells Stuffed With Fresh Tuna Salad and a Tomato Vinaigrette

Ingredients

Tuna

• 2 lbs tuna steaks
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Salad

• 8-12 large pasta shells, cooked well done (don't let them fall apart)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (you can use a little more if you want, but I go very light as the fresh tomato vinaigrette tops the )
• 2 celery ribs, cut lengthwise and then chopped fine
• 1 small red onion, chopped fine
• 2 tablespoons roasted red peppers (jarred is fine, I always keep some on hand)
• 2 scallions, fine chopped green and white parts
• 1/3 cup kalamata olive, chopped (you can substitute black olives as well)
• 2 anchovy fillets, fine minced (don't shy away, you will never notice them but WOW, what a great flavor they add, start with one fir)
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained and chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
• pepper

Tomato Vinaigrette

• 10 plum tomatoes, lightly seeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped fine
• 1 large shallot, very fine chopped
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinaigrette
• salt
• pepper
• 1 lemon, cut in 4 wedges (1 per plate as a garnish and squeezed on the salad)
• 4 cups salad greens, for serving (use your favorite, I love some torn Bibb or Boston lettuce for a creamy smooth texture, but you can )

Directions

1. 1

   Tuna -- First let the tuna come to room temp or at least set on the counter 15 or so minutes to take the chill off. Then salt and pepper well on each side. Then in a large pan (NOT non stick) heat the oil to medium high and add the tuna. Get a nice sear on each side -- not long guys, 2-3 minutes is all it takes. You want it rare in the middle and a small opaque border around the outside edges. Flip and same on the other side. You want nice grill marks if on the grill or grill pan or just golden brown in a saute pan. Both work just fine. Once done, just remove to a plate and let cool. This salad is just room temp, so no need to keep hot, just just let it cool as you prepare the rest of your salad.

2. 2

   Shells -- Bring a pot of salted water up to a boil and then cook your shells according to directions. Nothing special. They are not cooking any further, so make sure they are done, but you don't want them falling apart. Once done, I just love to let them cool on a baking sheet. They actually cool, very quickly - 10 minutes or so. They will then be ready for stuffing.

3. 3

   Filling -- First thing is the tuna. In a large bowl, chop up the tuna into bite size pieces, not too big but not fine chopped and add in the celery, red onion, anchovies, scallions, capers, olives, roasted red peppers, lemon juice, parsley, pepper, NO salt (the capers and olives are salty enough), mayo and toss lightly, you don't want to bread up the nice tuna pieces.

4. 4

   Stuff -- Just stuff the tuna salad in the shells. Just stuff them to the top. That's all. Set them on a plate off to the side as you make the tomato vinaigrette.

5. 5

   Vinaigrette -- To a small bowl add the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and mix well until combined. Whisk really well to make the olive oil emulsify a little. Then toss in the diced tomatoes and basil. Let is set just a few minutes as you finish your side dishes or prepare your plates. It just needs 3-4 minutes to absorb all the flavors.

6. 6

   Plating -- A simple cup of the fresh greens, then squeezed with the fresh lemon wedge, topped with a couple of the stuffed shells and then topped with the fresh tomato vinaigrette. ENJOY!