Nicoise pasta with seared tuna steak

Name: Nicoise pasta with seared tuna steak
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Contemporary
Ingredients: 400g linguine; 200g green beans, shredded; 1 tbsp Dijon mustard; 60ml (¼ cup) lemon juice; 60ml (¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing; 15g (½ cup) finely chopped parsley; ¼ cup baby caper berries; 90g (½ cup) pitted niçoise olives; 4 x 150g tuna steaks; lemon wedges, to serve

An elegant but easy pasta dish riffing on the classic French salad.

Jessica Brook

August 7, 2025

Swap tuna steak for canned tuna for a quick, budget-friendly variation.James Moffatt

easyTime:< 30 minsServes:4

The classic flavours of nicoise salad come together in this elegant pasta dish, which you can have on the table even faster by swapping the fresh tuna steak for a can of tuna in olive oil, breaking it into large chunks and tossing it through the pasta.

Ingredients

400g linguine
200g green beans, shredded
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
60ml (¼ cup) lemon juice
60ml (¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing
15g (½ cup) finely chopped parsley
¼ cup baby caper berries
90g (½ cup) pitted niçoise olives
4 x 150g tuna steaks
lemon wedges, to serve

Method

Step 1
Cook the pasta in salted boiling water for 6-8 minutes, or until al dente, adding the green beans in the final 2 minutes. Drain and refresh. Whisk together the mustard, lemon juice and oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Step 2
Place the pasta and beans in a large bowl. Add the dressing, parsley, caper berries and olives and toss to combine. Set aside.
Step 3
Brush the tuna steaks with oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add the tuna and cook for 2 minutes on each side for rare. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to cook the tuna steaks in batches.
Step 4
Divide the pasta between bowls and serve each with a tuna steak and lemon wedges.