Tuna Pasta Salad
Tuna Pasta Salad is packed with noodles, peas, tuna, and fresh veggies, all tossed in a creamy dressing. This quick and easy summer side is perfectly portable for picnics, potlucks and barbecues. It's nutritiously delicious!
Servings: 6 1 cup servings
Calories: 421kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry small shell pasta cooked according to package directions and drained very well
- 12 ounces chunk light tuna in water drained very well (I used Great Value brand)
- 1 cup frozen green peas thawed
- 1 cup diced celery
- ¾ cup diced red onion about the size of a frozen pea
- 1 teaspoon dried dill weed You can substitute 1 ½ teaspoons of fresh dill for the dried
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt You can substitute ½ teaspoon of table salt for the kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
Dressing
- ¾ cup mayonnaise I used Hellman's
- ½ cup plain nonfat greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Optional Add-ins:
- Chopped bell peppers quantity as desired
- Chopped boiled eggs quantity as desired
- Smoked paprika to taste
Instructions
- Add the cooked small shell pasta to a large (6-7 quarts) mixing bowl (Tip: When draining the cooked pasta, rinse the pasta in cold water to stop the cooking process. Be sure to drain all the water from the pasta)2 cups dry small shell pasta
- Add the drained tuna, thawed green peas, diced celery, diced red onion, dried dill weed, kosher salt and cracked black pepper.12 ounces chunk light tuna in water, 1 cup frozen green peas, 1 cup diced celery, ¾ cup diced red onion, 1 teaspoon dried dill weed, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- Add the mayonnaise, yogurt and lemon juice to a small (3-4 cups) bowl. Whisk until the dressing is smooth and no lumps are visible.¾ cup mayonnaise, ½ cup plain nonfat greek yogurt, 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Pour the dressing over the tuna, pasta and vegetables.
- Fold the mixture all together until all the ingredients are completely coated. (Be sure to taste the pasta salad to ensure it is seasoned to your taste) You can serve immediately, or chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. (You can make this the night before) Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- You can add chopped bell peppers, chopped boiled eggs and even add smoked paprika.Chopped bell peppers, Chopped boiled eggs, Smoked paprika
Notes
Storage:
- To Store: Store your pasta salad covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Make Ahead: You can chill the salad in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve. You can even make this the night before! Keep in mind that the pasta will absorb some of the dressing so you may want to consider adding the dressing right before serving.
- Prepare The Pasta: When draining the cooked pasta, rinse it in cold water to stop the cooking process. Be sure to drain all the water from the pasta so you don't end up with a soggy salad!
- Make With Mix-Ins: Feel free to add chopped red bell peppers, hard boiled eggs, and some smoked paprika.
- Pick Another Protein: I love using canned protein because it makes meal prep a breeze. You can swap the tuna for canned salmon, canned chicken, or even make a shrimp pasta salad (because shrimp also comes in a can)!
- Prepare Without Pasta: If you remove the pasta from this recipe, it can be a low-carb, keto, gluten-free option to meet certain meal plans dietary restrictions. My Big Mac Salad and Sub Sandwich in a Bowl are both low-carb, keto-friendly meals made with your favorite sandwich ingredients, minus the macaroni!
Nutrition
Calories: 421kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 521mg | Potassium: 379mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 322IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 2mg