Tuna pasta salad is a healthy, nutritious, and delicious dish your family will always enjoy for dinner or lunch.I adore all kinds of pasta salad, be it only with veggies, or fish or meat, I adore such hearty dishes as I am a pasta fan. Even though it is served cold, it is a must-try at least once to be convinced that this tuna pasta salad has a perfect balance of delicious creamy dressing, tender pasta, and veggies. Once you will try this healthy, yet hearty dish, you won’t stop to add more into your plate. It doesn’t have a nice look but tastes delicious, and very refreshing from the celery ribs. I always try to add green veggies to any of my salads, be it either an olive oil or mayonnaise-based one, I try to light up and refresh my salad.
Tuna pasta salad recipe is very simple, easy and hearty. You will only have to boil your pasta, add tuna, celery ribs, red onion, and of course home-made mayonnaise (or yogurt). This combination of flavors are so addictive and so satisfying, that you will adore making this type of pasta salad regularly. This is a comfort food for my family, so I try to spoil them not only in summer, in winter as well. It is a great dish to be prepared-ahead, especially on special occasions. This tuna pasta salad will definitely be a hit at your events.
In case you want to fridge this salad and use other days, I recommend you to add a little mayo before serving. It will moisten your pasta salad as it gets a little dry as it soaks up more dressing, that’s why I advise you to eat this salad immediately or within 24 hours for more flavor and taste. I personally adore to eat this tuna pasta salad fresh and creamy, maximum an hour it marinates in the refrigerator. The perfect balance between the home-made mayo, smooth pasta, and fresh crunchy veggies makes this salad be healthy and yummy.
How to make tuna pasta salad?
For the best tuna pasta salad, you need just a few ingredients. First, you have to boil the pasta and cool down before you mix all the ingredients. Add fresh ribs celery, 1 red onion, one canned peas, and home-made mayonnaise (or yogurt). I adore this salad very much, due to its healthy ingredients, flavors, and quickness. This simple, yet so satisfying dish can be served as a side dish, as well as the main course. This budget-friendly pasta salad full of flavors can be prepared anytime of the ear, especially as an aside dish to a barbeque as this recipe is going to be a hit, anyway :).
Method:
- Boil half pack of pasta al dente or more minutes if you want them tender (I usually use fusilli or farfalle as they are easier to boil and looks nicer in the plate).
- Cool-down pasta.
- In a bowl, mix 3 canned qualitative tuna, 3 chopped ribs of celery, 1 small chopped red onion, 1 canned green peas with the cooled pasta. Season with a pinch of sea salt if needed.
- Pour the creamy home-made mayonnaise (or yogurt at your discretion) over the mixture and serve immediately, or save it for later.
What is great about this tuna pasta salad is that it only tastes better with time if cooked a day or two in advance. If you think that it looks not as appetizingly, you have to add a teaspoon of mayonnaise and mix once again, before serving. It only helps and improves the flavors from veggies and mayonnaise meld together and make this tuna pasta salad tasty, easy, and perfect for any occasion.
How to serve tuna pasta salad?
Tuna pasta salad is a cold dish full of nutrients, healthy fats, and vitamins. It is so easy and quick to make, that you will simply adore how loaded with flavors it tastes. You will definitely enjoy this kind of meal. This pasta salad recipe is easy to prepare and ideal for potlucks, picniques, or perfect as a protein packed lunch box. I have tried this salad some years ago, and since then it is a dish frequently made in my house.
Tuna Pasta Salad Dressing:
I like to make my home-made mayonnaise to many of my salads. Dressing for this tuna pasta salad is definitely my mayo-based, loaded with flavors from mustard, fresh eggs, qualitative oil, and some dill. One more point while dressing this salad, is to choose the best canned tuna. I advise you to buy solid white canned tuna as it is more steaky and suits better this pasta salad, rather the chunk light one.
Tuna Pasta Salad Recipe Tips:
You can be so inventive with this salad that you can opt for any kind of macaroni you like. I would not recommend spaghetti for this dish, as they are too satisfying, long, and definitely doesn’t look nice along small chopped veggies and tuna texture. I would advise you to use only small different figures pasta for this salad. Also, I would highly advise to use only whole-grain pasta as they are more nutritious, and healthier than white pasta. Whole-grain pasta is full of nutrients such as protein, carbs, fiber, iron, zinc and magnesium. More carbs you get a day more energy your body has.
- You can boil pasta a day in advance and fridge it in a container, before being mixed with veggies and canned tuna.
- You can use whole olives or cappers for a sour aroma.
- For more proteins, you can use canned beans or chickpeas.
- One more great point about this salad is that you can add different extra veggies such as zucchini, cucumbers, or cherry tomatoes.
- I have also met people preparing this pasta salad with avocado. I consider this a great option and I will definitely try. Avocado is very nutritious and healthy, it will only improve and make better this tuna pasta salad.
This best tuna pasta salad is always a hit for special events, and perfect as a side dish to compliment a potluck. Tuna pasta salad is a great salad to spoil and trick your kids eating healthy, and some vegetables.
Tuna Pasta Salad Recipe
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Bowl
- Large cutting board
Ingredients
- 1 pack pasta
- 1 medium onion
- 1 canned peas
- 1 canned tuna
- 2 celery ribs
Home-Made Mayonnaise
- 1 yolk
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 1/3 juice of a lemon
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 10 oz sunflower oil
Instructions
- Boil half pack of pasta al dente or more minutes if you want them tender (I usually use fusilli or farfalle as they are easier to boil and looks nicer in the plate).
- Cool-down pasta.
- In a bowl, mix 3 canned qualitative tuna, 3 chopped ribs of celery, 1 small chopped red onion, 1 canned green peas with the cooled pasta. Season with a pinch of sea salt if needed.
- Pour the creamy home-made mayonnaise (or yogurt at your discretion) over the mixture and serve immediately, or save it for later.
