Lemon Tuna Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

12  ounces dried mafalda

18 ounces of artichoke hearts

2  cans chunk white tuna, drained and broken into chunks

2  cups sliced fresh mushrooms

2  cups chopped yellow sweet peppers

1/2  cup sliced, pitted ripe olives

2  cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4  cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Lemon Dressing:

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup salad oil

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

4 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:

Cook pasta package directions, adding the artichoke hearts the last 5 minutes of cooking; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain again. Halve any large artichoke hearts.Transfer pasta and artichoke hearts to a very large bowl. Gently stir in tuna, mushrooms, sweet peppers, and olives.

Pour Lemon Dressing over pasta mixture; toss to coat. Cover and chill for 4 to 24 hours. Before serving, gently stir in tomatoes and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Makes 8 servings.

Lemon Dressing: In a small bowl whisk together all ingredientds.Makes about 3/4 cup.

Serves 4.