Could 3, 2025
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If you happen to’re a tuna fan searching for a easy Tuna Salad Recipe with Pasta, this one is for you. It’s filled with flaky tuna, tender pasta, frozen peas, purple onion, and a creamy dressing made with lemon juice and actual mayonnaise. You’ll be able to cease your recipe search as a result of this one’s been examined, tweaked, and is completely dependable each time.


Elements Wanted for Tuna Pasta Salad
Right here’s what you’ll want for this traditional tuna pasta salad—all easy substances that you simply most likely have already got:
- Mini bowtie pasta – or swap for elbow macaroni, shell noodles, or rotini pasta
- Frozen peas – tossed in over the past 30 seconds of cooking for simply the proper chew
- Purple onion – diced small for taste and crunch
- Dill pickles – diced finely for tang and texture
- Canned tuna – use albacore tuna in water for the very best outcomes
- Lemon juice – contemporary is greatest, provides brightness to the creamy dressing
- Actual mayonnaise – or sub with mild mayo, bitter cream, and even Greek yogurt
- Dried dill – or contemporary dill for a lift of taste
- Salt and black pepper – season to style
Tuna Salad Variations
Be at liberty to alter up this recipe to make it your individual! Listed here are a few concepts from a few of my readers who tailored their Tuna Pasta Salads:
- Reduce Out the Mayonnaise – to chop out among the mayo, go half and half with unsweetened plain greek yogurt. This makes this recipe a bit of extra wholesome.
- Substitute Dill Pickles – don’t like dill pickles? Certainly one of my reader’s changed them with inexperienced olives and capers and one other changed it with artichoke hearts! Nonetheless, if you happen to’re simply searching for the crunch with out the pickle taste, strive celery.
- Extra Protein – wanting so as to add extra protein to your dish? Take into account including a can of cannellini beans or garbanzo beans or chopped hard-boiled eggs.
- Substitute Tuna – this may be a bit of sacrilege, however if you happen to occur to not like tuna, you’ll be able to nonetheless get pleasure from this recipe by changing it with shredded hen.
- Swap Mini Bowties– for elbow macaroni, shell noodles, or rotini pasta
- Add-ins– inexperienced onion, purple bell pepper, kalamata olives, or candy relish
- Herb it up– contemporary dill, parsley, or different contemporary herbs
- Make it gluten-free– use gluten-free pasta


Useful Ingredient Ideas
Generally a selected type of an ingredient is healthier than one other when utilized in a recipe. Listed here are a number of that I’ve discovered with this Tuna Pasta Salad.
- Mini Bowtie Pasta – I like utilizing mini bowtie pasta for this recipe as a result of with each chew you get the right stability of substances. No enormous chunks of pickle, pasta, or purple onion. Nonetheless, you should utilize no matter pasta you may have readily available (most likely not spaghetti, fettuccine, or lasagna noodles although).
- Frozen Peas – if you happen to don’t have frozen peas, you should utilize canned peas. Simply you should definitely drain them nicely. If contemporary peas are in season, that might be the BEST selection after all.
- Purple Onion – or white onion. Though I like the style of uncooked purple onion, you’ll be able to substitute it with white onion, if desired.
- Dill Pickle – please please please use dill pickles and never candy pickles. This makes an enormous distinction.
- Tuna – I used albacore packed in water however be happy to make use of what you may have. And don’t overlook to empty it!
The best way to Make Tuna Pasta Salad
For full particulars on find out how to make Tuna Pasta Salad, see the recipe card down under. Here’s what you’ll be able to anticipate whereas making this salad.
1. Prep Elements
Put together substances by dicing purple onion and dill pickles.


2. Cook dinner Pasta + Peas
Carry a big pot of water to boil. Salt the water and cook dinner pasta till al dente. Stir in frozen peas and cook dinner for 30 seconds.






Drain pasta and peas. In order for you room-temperature pasta salad, don’t rinse. In order for you chilly pasta salad, rinse with chilly water.
3. Combine Remaining Elements and Serve
Within the backside of a big bowl, whisk lemon, mayonnaise, dill, salt, and black pepper till nicely mixed.
Add pasta, peas, onion, pickle, and tuna, and toss till all the things is evenly coated in sauce.


Storing this Tuna Salad Recipe with Pasta
Retailer any leftovers within the fridge, lined in an hermetic container, for as much as 3 days! The longer it sits the higher it tastes. Excellent as lunch, as a snack, or as a facet dish!
Freezing or Make Forward – I don’t advocate freezing this salad due to the mayo- it doesn’t thaw and remix very nicely. You can also make this salad forward of time (the day earlier than) earlier than you want it and retailer within the fridge till able to serve.
Love Tuna? Test Out These Different Seafood Recipes:


Extra Pasta Salad Recipes to Strive!
If you happen to appreciated this Tuna Pasta Salad you’re going to like my different pasta salad recipes!
This traditional recipe is a good way to make use of pantry staples and feed the complete household. It makes a good pasta salad for any summer season picnic, potluck, or busy weeknight. The printable recipe card is down under. Have a terrific day, mates! 🙂
If you happen to make this recipe, I might actually recognize it if you happen to would give it a star score and go away your overview within the feedback! When you have an image of your completed dish, publish it on Instagram utilizing the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.


Tuna Salad Recipe with Pasta
This creamy Tuna Salad Recipe with Pasta is tangy, crunchy, oniony, and pleasant! Excellent for a wholesome lunch, mild dinner, or snack to retailer within the fridge.
Directions
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Carry a big pot of water to boil. Salt the water and cook dinner pasta till al dente. Within the final 30 seconds, stir in frozen peas and cook dinner for 30 seconds.
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Drain pasta and peas. In order for you room-temperature pasta salad, do not rinse. In order for you chilly pasta salad, rinse with chilly water.
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Within the backside of a big bowl, whisk lemon, mayonnaise, dill, salt and pepper till nicely mixed.
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Add pasta, peas, onion, pickle and tuna and toss till all the things is evenly coated in sauce.
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Serve or refrigerate lined till able to serve.
Vitamin
Energy: 447kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 15g | Fats: 29g | Saturated Fats: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 17g | Monounsaturated Fats: 6g | Trans Fats: 0.1g | Ldl cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 489mg | Potassium: 251mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 300IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 3mg