Tuna Pasta Salad

So, I thought I would through in one of my own recipes to show Ramsey what "Fast Food" is really about for the working woman/mom.

This is a pasta salad my mother used to make when I was a kid. I've started making it for my family. It's cheap, easy and very versatile.

Can of tuna, peas, celery, onion, bite-sized pasta of your choice. I usually use elbow macaroni, but anything else (except noodles) works just as well. My mother used to use canned peas, but I prefer freshly steamed fresh or frozen peas (a lot less salty and mushy).

Dice the celery and onion. The quantity really is dictated by your own taste.

Steam (or drain) the peas. I plunged mine in ice water so they wouldn't go mushy on me.

Cook your pasta to al dente or to taste.

Drain your tuna, break up the larger pieces with a fork. Combine it all in a large bowl and then

add your mayonnaise or Miracle Whip (whatever). Serve.

It's really great chilled. I recommend mixing in the mayo on a "per bowl" basis. If you put it in before you refrigerate it, then it dries out and you need to add more anyway. Also, some people in your family might like it drier or wetter than you do. This a great summertime dish because you can make it ahead, go to the beach, come back and serve yourself a bowl (when you're too hot to cook). It also makes a great "base" for other dishes. You could chop up some fresh tomatoes and put them in with a handful of fresh herbs, or some fresh green beans. It really begs to be "dressed" up and played with. Overall, it takes about 30 minutes to prepare. Boiling the water and cooking the pasta is by far the most time-consuming part of the entire recipe. Enjoy.