Classic Tuna Pasta Salad: Simple and Satisfying

It’s the tuna pasta salad you’ve been looking for! My recipe is protein-dense, flavorful, and is a fabulous wow-worthy dish to bring to your next pot luck, serve at family dinner, or make-ahead lunches for the week.

Tuna pasta salad is an incredibly popular pasta salad. It’s a great recipe to make when you’re bringing a dish to a potluck and it’s also a lovely meal all on its own. Tuna pasta salad is a great meal option to prep in advance, too! I love to make it for lunches for the week especially because of the healthy amount of protein. If you’re scrupulous about your tuna sourcing (look for the Seafood Watch approval on the cans), then you can also rest-assured that it’s a sustainable protein as well. The purpose of this article is to show you not only how to make this delicious, healthy tuna pasta salad, but to also teach you ways you can modify it to your exact liking.

Key Ingredients and Nutritional Information

The ingredients needed for this yummy tuna pasta salad are pretty simple! There are several ingredients used for the pasta salad itself and several for the creamy dressing. Find ingredient notes and any applicable swaps and substitutions below. Exact ingredient amounts can be found in the recipe card.

• Elbow macaroni – fusilli, rotini, and farfalle would all work great here too
• Red onion – finely chopped
• Canned tuna
• Frozen peas
• Celery – finely chopped
• Cherry tomatoes – halved
• Mayonnaise – Primal Kitchen is our favorite!
• Full-fat Greek yogurt – if you’re dairy-free, feel free to swap this for more mayo
• Lemon juice – fresh lemon juice, always!
• Honey
• Sea salt + red pepper flakes
• Fresh dill – roughly chopped

How to Make Tuna Pasta Salad

You’ve got your ingredients, so let’s get to cooking! The only *real* cooking involved in this recipe is boiling pasta – everything else is just a matter of chopping, whisking, and tossing. This recipe is as easy as it comes, but I have a feeling that you’re going to be really impressed when you try it!

1. Cook and rinse the pasta – cook the pasta according to the package instructions, then drain and rinse it with cold water. Transfer it to a large bowl.
2. Add the tuna + veggies – add the tuna and chopped vegetables to the bowl with the pasta.
3. Make the dressing – add the mayo, yogurt, lemon juice, honey, salt, red pepper flakes, and fresh dill to a small bowl, and whisk together for the dressing.
4. Add the dressing – pour the dressing over the pasta, tuna, and veggies and toss to combine.
5. Serve chilled and enjoy!

Recipe Variations

The very nature of pasta salad lends itself to countless variations! Here are some yummy swaps and subs that are definitely worth trying:

• Use canned salmon – if you want even more of a nutritional punch (or are just avoiding canned tuna for any reason), swap in canned salmon here.
• Switch up the veggies – don’t like peas? Swap them for bell peppers or any other chopped veggie that you love.

Tips for Serving and Storing

Serve the tuna pasta salad as a main dish for a light, refreshing dinner, or bring it to a summer potluck to be enjoyed as a side. You can’t go wrong either way! If you are serving it as a side, the dishes below would be great accompaniments:

• Grilled Skirt Steak
• Classic Shrimp Salad
• Surf and Turf Kabobs
• BBQ Salmon Mango Kabobs
• BBQ Salad with Jalapeno Ranch Dressing
• Spicy Watermelon Salad

Store your tuna pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge. Stored this way, it’ll last for up to 5 days!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use canned tuna instead of fresh tuna?

This recipe is actually written for canned tuna, so yes, please use it! Throwing canned tuna in a pasta salad is so much simpler than cooking tuna filets, and the result is really impressive.

How long can I store the salad in the fridge?

Your leftover tuna pasta salad can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Can I make the salad ahead of time for meal prep?

You can absolutely make your pasta salad up to a day in advance. You’ll want to avoid making it any sooner than that so that you don’t run the risk of soggy noodles. That being said, IF you’re using gluten-free noodles (like we did), know that they do tend to get mushy and fall apart quicker than regular, wheat pasta, so keep that in mind when you’re planning.

More Favorite Summer Sides

• Orzo with Roasted Vegetables
• Grilled Veggies
• Mexican Street Corn Salad
• Chilled Spring Veggie Rice Salad
• Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Apple
• German Potato Salad
• Spicy Watermelon Salad