This Tuna Pasta Salad is a classic summer pasta salad. It takes just 30 minutes to throw together and is deliciously cool, creamy, and delicious.
Canned tuna, celery, onion, chopped pickles, mayonnaise, and your favorite pasta combine to make the perfect warm-weather lunch or light dinner. Great served as a side for BBQ burgers, chicken, or sandwiches too.
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Summer Salad Recipes
This Tuna Noodle Salad was always my mom's favorite go-to in the summer. It's an easy main dish or classic side dish that goes together quickly and uses simple ingredients that are always on hand. Plus, if you have your own garden, it's the ideal way to show off your harvest.
I think salads are just made for summer. Recipes like Chicken Salad with Grapes, Egg Salad, Spinach Strawberry Salad, and this Tuna Pasta Salad are refreshingly cold salads that just hit the spot when the heat rolls in.
Why This is the Best Tuna Pasta Salad Recipe
- Easy recipe
- Simple ingredients
- Creamy and delicious
- Start to finish takes just 30 minutes
- Cold pasta salads are perfect for summer meals
Why You'll Love This Creamy Tuna Pasta Salad With Mayo
Are you a tuna salad fan? Don't you love it when the tuna gets covered in mayonnaise and becomes a creamy spread perfect for sandwiches? Well, combine tuna salad with pasta and a little extra mayo and you've got a classic tuna macaroni salad that's super creamy and perfectly filling.
Tuna Pasta Salad Ingredients
You'll need to gather your ingredients first. Here's a handy list of the main ingredients and note there's a printable recipe card below with the exact measurements for each.
Salad Ingredients
- Tuna - I like to use albacore tuna packed in water but you can use tuna packed in oil as well and either white or light, whichever is your favorite.
- Pasta - any type of pasta can be used. My personal preference is rotini as it holds the mayonnaise and flaked tuna better than most but elbow macaroni or bow tie pasta are popular subs.
- Onion - either yellow or red onion can be used. It adds a nice texture and bite to the salad.
- Celery - adds crispness
- Red Bell Pepper - adds color and gives the salad an extra vegetal flavoring.
- Pickles - add a tang and go perfectly with tuna.
- Lemon Juice - takes a bit of the fishy flavor and aroma from the tuna.
- Salt & Pepper - enhances the flavors of all the ingredients.
Dressing Ingredients
- Mayonnaise - makes one creamy pasta salad! You can also sub in avocado or Greek yogurt for half the mayonnaise or replace it with either Miracle Whip, light mayonnaise, or Italian dressing.
What Type of Tuna to Use
The best tuna to use for this salad is canned tuna packed in water. It is lighter and full of flavor and mixes well with the mayo.
How to Make Tuna Pasta Salad
Making this pasta salad with tuna is super simple. Here you'll find photos and steps to guide you through the process.
- Place tuna in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice.
- Add chopped onions, celery, red bell pepper, and dill pickles to the bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
- Toss in the cooked pasta that has been allowed to cool.
- Add mayonnaise and stir well. Chill prior to serving.
Place chilled tuna macaroni salad in a bowl and garnish with parsley. Great for a quick lunch, light dinner, summer picnic, or last-minute get-togethers.
Recipe Tips
- Tuna - Drain well and fluff with a fork.
- Pasta - Cook pasta until al dente, drain pasta, and rinse it with cold water to completely cool it. Draining and rinsing will keep the pasta from sticking together. Cooling will prevent the hot pasta from melting the mayo.
- Vegetables - when adding fresh vegetables that are soft, such as tomatoes and cucumbers, add just prior to serving.
- Use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor.
- Shortcut - purchase 8 ounces of macaroni salad from your market deli and add several cans of tuna fish. You can also add extra chopped vegetables then moisten with a little extra mayonnaise.
Ingredient Substitutions and Recipe Variations
This classic Tuna Pasta Salad is very versatile and is easy to make to your taste and diet preferences. Here are some suggestions:
- Use any pasta shape or noodle for this salad. Make it with macaroni, bowtie, penne, shells, tri-colored pasta, or spaghetti noodles.
- Substitute vinegar for the lemon juice.
- Substitute Miracle Whip for the mayo.
- Substitute mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt for a pasta tuna salad with no mayo.
- Substitute mashed avocado for half of the mayo to make this tuna pasta salad with avocado.
- For a healthy tuna pasta salad, use 1 cup of Italian dressing instead of mayo and add chopped tomatoes
- Add more mayo to make it creamier.
- Add other veggies like sweet corn, fresh peas, broccoli, or bell pepper for added flavor.
- Add 1 chopped cucumber for every two cans of tuna.
- Add fresh dill, tarragon, or other herbs.
- Add chopped hard-boiled eggs if you enjoy a tuna pasta salad with egg or want more protein in the salad.
- Add chickpeas for another source of protein.
- Substitute tuna with canned salmon or chicken.
Make Ahead
This tuna pasta salad is great for meal prep and even tastes better when made ahead of time. The longer it sits in the refrigerator the more the flavors will marry, 8-12 hours is ideal. Once made, you've got quick lunches for the week or a delicious easy dinner for unexpected company.
What to Serve with Cold Tuna Pasta Salad
I love to serve my tuna and pasta salad on a bed of lettuce with slices of tomato and a pickle spear. You can also serve it with fruit, such as watermelon or berries, or a summer soup. When bringing to a potluck, it's a great side with hamburgers, pulled pork, BBQ chicken, hot dogs, or sandwiches.
Storing Leftover Tuna Pasta Salad
I like to make plenty for the week ahead as this salad stores very well in the refrigerator, Just make sure to place it in a nonreactive bowl and cover well. If the salad gets a little dry just add a bit more mayonnaise.
How long will tuna pasta salad last?
This tuna macaroni salad will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Frequently Asked Questions
The key to a good tuna pasta salad is using quality ingredients. Premium canned tuna, fresh vegetables, and lemon juice all contribute to the best-tasting pasta salad with tuna.
It is up to you as to whether or not to put eggs in tuna macaroni salad. The eggs add protein and make it a heartier salad. They also add flavor.
Canned tuna is a great source of protein, minerals, and vitamins. It has omega-3 essential fatty acids EPA and DHA which have many health benefits.
Refrigerating the salad in an airtight container slows down the pasta from absorbing the mayo.
Plain Greek yogurt is a great substitute for mayonnaise in tuna salad and many other salads too.
More Easy Pasta Recipes
- Chicken Broccoli Pasta is a cheesy casserole perfect for a weeknight meal.
- Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad with balsamic dressing is great for picnics and potlucks.
- Rattlesnake Pasta with shrimp is deliciously flavored with Cajun seasoning.
- Summer Pasta Salad with fresh summer produce, a lean protein & whole grain pasta
Find lots of salad recipes and easy pasta recipes here on 2CM!
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Tuna Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Pasta rotini or shells
- 2 cans Tuna Fish in water 2 7-oz cans
- 2 teaspoons Lemon Juice
- ½ cup Celery chopped (about 2 ribs)
- ½ cup Onion chopped
- ½ cup Bell Pepper – red or orange chopped
- ¼ cup Dill Pickles diced
- 1 cup Mayonnaise use more or less to suit your taste
- ½-1 teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and place in bowl. Chill in refrigerator.
- In a large bowl, add tuna and sprinkle with lemon juice.
- Add chopped celery, onion, bell pepper, and dill pickles and mix well.
- Stir in mayonnaise then season to taste.
- Once noodles are cooked and chilled, add to the tuna salad mixture.
- Serve cold.
Notes
- Tuna - Drain well and fluff with a fork.
- Pasta - Cook until al dente, drain and rinse. Let cool.
- Vegetables - when adding fresh vegetables that are soft, such as tomatoes and cucumbers, add just prior to serving.
Nutrition
This post has been updated with more helpful information. It was first published on July 6, 2022.
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