Melissa Brown
Sep 27 2006 12:00AM
This is my favorite time of year to go camping. The days are warm and sunny, and the nights are crisp and cool. It is the perfect time for a weekend stay on the banks of the Blackwater River, and this week’s recipe goes hand-in-hand with a woods adventure. It is no secret that a comfortable primitive camping trip requires a ton of planning, packing, and seemingly endless trips from the car to the campsite; hopefully the addition of this recipe to your camping food staples can reduce some of that worry.
My good friend Carmen introduced me to the versatile, flavorful basil pesto that can be purchased at any local grocery store. The addition of pesto to an otherwise ordinary tuna pasta salad enhances this savory camp-friendly dish. Prepare it the day before your trip to let the flavors meld, and bring plenty of crackers to complete the meal. Be sure, though, to make enough to share with other campers – once you get started munching on this salad it is nearly impossible to stop.
Tuna-pesto Pasta Salad
3 C uncooked bite-sized pasta
2 stalks celery (about 1/3 C), chopped
2 small roma tomatoes (about « C), chopped
¬ C sliced green onion
1 – 6 oz can solid white albacore tuna, drained
1 « tsp lemon pepper
¬ tsp white pepper
« tsp paprika
3 tsp basil pesto
1/3 C mayonnaise
1/8 C spicy brown mustard
Boil pasta according to “al dente” package directions. Immediately remove from heat and rinse well with cold water. Set aside. In small bowl, flake tuna and add spices and pesto; mix well. In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, mustard, and tuna mixture. Add pasta and mix to coat pasta evenly. Add chopped vegetables and stir. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to chill and blend flavors. Serve with saltines or buttery round crackers.