Pasta Salad With Seared Tuna And Citrus Dressing

• 1/2 pound spaghettini
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest (from about 1/4 orange)
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt
• Fresh-ground black pepper
• 6 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut crosswise into thin slices
• 6 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 1 pound tuna steak, about 1 inch thick

1. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the spaghettini until just done, about 9 minutes. Drain. Rinse with cold water; drain thoroughly.
2. In a large glass or stainless-steel bowl, whisk together the vinegar, orange zest, orange juice, lemon juice, mustard, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add 6 tablespoons of the oil slowly, whisking. Add the spaghettini, cucumbers, and mint and toss.
3. Heat a grill pan or heavy frying pan over moderately high heat. Coat the tuna with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Cook, turning once, until done to your taste, about 2 minutes per side for medium rare. Remove. Cut the tuna into 1-inch chunks and toss with the spaghettini.
4. Fish Alternatives: You could use salmon fillets or swordfish steaks in place of the tuna. For either, add a few minutes to the cooking time.
5. Wine Recommendation: Whether you make this salad with tuna or one of the alternatives listed in the box below, a dry riesling from Alsace will be splendid. Its lime, mineral, and herbal notes will brilliantly echo the salad and set off the fish.

spaghettini, redwine vinegar, orange zest, orange juice, lemon juice, mustard, salt, freshground black pepper, olive oil, cucumbers, fresh mint, tuna

Taken from www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pasta-salad-with-seared-tuna-citrus-dressing (may not work)