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Square overhead image of tuna pasta salad in a white bowl.
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Tuna Pasta Salad

Full of simple and fresh ingredients, this tuna pasta salad is the perfect side dish for your next cookout, an easy entrée for a weeknight dinner, or a refreshing make-ahead lunch.
Course Dinner, Lunch, Salad
Cuisine American, Southern
Keyword pasta salad with tuna, tuna pasta salad, tuna pasta salad recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Chilling Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 8 people
Calories 346kcal
Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni or small shells pasta
  • 2 (5 ounce) cans solid white albacore tuna packed in water, drained and flaked with a fork
  • ¼ cup chopped green onion
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
  • 2 cups diced celery
  • 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh minced dill (or 2 teaspoons dried dill weed)
  • ½ teaspoon salt, plus extra to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain the pasta in a colander and rinse under cold water. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
    Boiled macaroni in a colander.
  • In a large bowl, combine tuna fish, cooked pasta, green onion, bell pepper, celery, and peas.
    Stirring together the dry ingredients for pasta salad with tuna.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, dill, salt, and pepper.
    Whisking together the mayo dressing for tuna pasta salad.
  • Pour dressing over pasta mixture and gently toss until completely coated.
    Stirring together the ingredients for tuna pasta salad.
  • Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Taste and season with additional salt, if desired. Stir in extra mayo if the mixture seems dry.
    Overhead image of a bowl of pasta salad with tuna fish.

Notes

  • Use a high-quality mayonnaise for the dressing, since it adds so much flavor to the dish. I prefer Duke’s brand mayo.
  • Cook the pasta just until al dente, so that it’s not too mushy in the salad.
  • Liberally salt the pasta cooking water, since this is your chance to season the pasta.
  • Rinse the pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process. This also removes some of the starches from the noodles so that they don’t stick together in the salad.
  • Use solid white albacore tuna in water for the best texture.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/8 of the salad | Calories: 346kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 409mg | Potassium: 263mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 753IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg