I was trying to figure out what to do for lunch, so I looked around my fridge to see what I had to work with. I knew I was in the mood for something Frenchy, thanks to the Food 911 episode I just saw with Tyler Florence, courtesy of the Food Network. He helped an on-screen viewer re-create her girls-week-out trip to Paris with a yummy mussels & frites dish…so, I decided to do a twist on the classic Niçoise salad, which has tuna, hard-boiled eggs and vegetables within a bed of greens. Hence, Saladé Oscar!

There’s three parts to this salad: Pasta, Tuna and Plating!

And, naturally, the ingredients:

Cayenne pepper: a pinch
½ head of garlic
Mayonnaise: two liberal tablespoons
Mozzarella cheese: a handful
Horseradish: one teaspoon
Elbow macaroni: 1.5 cup
Baby spinach & red leaves: a handful
Cilantro: a pinch (fresh is better, but dried will do too)
Tomato: one, quartered
Eggs: two large, hard-boiled & sliced
Sour cream: two dollops (a bit more than liberal tablespoons!)
White vinegar: ¼ cup
Lemon juice: ½ a lemon
Tuna: one can

(click on the photo for a larger and better image–I’m not a digital photographer by trade, so you’ll have to excuse the quality!)

1: Pasta & dressing

Boil according to the box instructions or experience (you can use leftovers too)

Boil eggs—for large ones, approximately 12-15 minutes. Cool over cold tap water, de-shell and slice.

Split a ½ head of garlic with your knife across the middle (you should see the garlic on both sides of your knife)

Place the ½ head in foil, with the lemon juice and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes at 375. Roasting the garlic sweetens it and removes its naturally bitter, or strong odor.

Once all ingredients are ready, combine the eggs, roasted garlic, sour cream and mozzarella cheese. In a food processor, run the blade until the ingredients reach a thick, creamy consistency. Then, while the blade is running, emulsify the mix with a ¼ cup of vinegar—as Rachael Ray would say, “just eyeball” it!

Mix the pasta & dressing, set aside.

2: Tuna

De-can it, drain the water & set in a mixing bowl. Add the mayo, salt/pepper mix, and horseradish; mix well. Season with S&P to taste. Set aside.

3: Plating!

On a regular plate, take a handful of the greens, place in the center…spoon about two spoonfuls of the pasta mix atop the greens, also centered…layer the pasta mix with about a spoonish of the tuna mix…take three (or more!) quartered slices of tomato, stand on the pasta mix, around the tuna…sprinkle tuna with cilantro.

Then, grab a fork and dig in!

I loved the burst of flavors—the sweetened garlic within the creamy sauce from the pasta mix, the tartness of the tuna due to the horseradish—it was a sweet/sour infusion for me, and the greens acted as a buffer in between, with the quartered tomatoes being the “juicy” element. If you do try this, let me know what you think!

Also, if you’re making this for yourself, expect leftovers. You can add or subtract from the ingredients, depending on the size of your party.

Bon Appétit!