This Tuna Pasta Salad will be a great side dish for your next summer bbq, lunch, or even a meal. You will find it loaded with perfectly cooked macaroni, tuna, onion, celery, peas, hard-boiled eggs, and a simple creamy dressing.
Tuna Pasta Salad
Summer picnics are just around the corner and classic salad recipes are perfect for serving family and guests. Easy salads like this Tuna Pasta Salad or my Loaded Potato Salad, Creamy Broccoli Salad, or Pasta Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette are great for serving a large crowd at a family barbecue. They are all classic salad recipes that everyone will.
Since tuna is filling and healthy, it is excellent for dinner, lunch, or a side dish. Tuna pasta salad is great to serve with hot dogs, burgers, chicken, or all by itself for a meal. I only use mayo in my dressing mixture for this salad. If you would like to keep the dish a bit more healthy, go ahead and use 1/2 mayo and 1/2 yogurt when preparing the dressing.
Not a fan of tuna? Have no worries. I am not much of a fan myself, but when I mix tuna with pasta, egg, crunchy veggies, and the dressing, the tuna flavor is not overwhelming like many tuna dishes. Creamy Tuna Pasta Salad is the best. I think if you give it a try, you will agree.
Make the Tuna Pasta Salad ahead of time and allow it to chill for about an hour. I find that pasta salads are best after being refrigerated for hours. Some are better after a day or two even. Leftovers are always great too!
How long will Tuna Pasta Salad last?
Go ahead and store your salad in an airtight container. Then place it in the fridge for up to 5 days. If it starts to get a bit dry, go ahead and add a bit of mayo or yogurt to make it a bit wetter.
What are some mix-in alternatives for Tuna Pasta Salad?
Feel free to mix-in cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, bacon, peppers, or even bacon — tuna pairs well with so many different foods.
Ingredients Need to Make Tuna Pasta Salad
- Pasta
- Tuna
- Hard Boiled Eggs
- Onion
- Celery
- Peas
- Mayo
- Mustard
- Relish
- Garlic Powder
- Dill
- Salt and Pepper
How to make Cold Tuna Pasta Salad
First, you will want to cook the pasta according to package directions. Make sure not to overcook. Try to achieve al dente pasta. Immediately transfer the hot pasta to a strainer to rinse with cold water. The rinsing will stop cooking quickly. If the pasta overcooks, it will be mushy consistency. I used traditional elbow macaroni pasta. Go ahead and use your favorite pasta.
While the pasta is cooking, I usually chop my veggies and eggs. Also, I prepare the tuna. I drain and rinse tuna a bit more before shredding with two forks.
Next, I make the tuna pasta salad dressing. It is very easy to make. I add the mayo, mustard, relish, and spices to a bowl and whisk well.
Finally, we mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Looking for other great summer salads? Consider some of these other great potluck side dishes that I have shared:
- Creamy Fruit Salad – great for the pickiest of eaters.
- Creamy Cucumber and Radish Salad – light and healthy!
- Hawaiian Macaroni Salad – fun and tasty twist on the classic.
Tuna Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb Pasta I used Elbow Macaroni
- 4 5 oz cans Tuna drained
- 6 hard boiled Eggs diced
- 1/2 Red Onion diced
- 4 stalks Celery diced
- 12 oz frozen Peas thawed
- 1 1/4 cup Mayo
- 1/2 tsp Mustard
- 1/4 cup Relish
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/4 tsp Dill
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions for aldente. Do not overcook.
- Rinse under cold water. Drain and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine mayo, mustard, relish, garlic powder, dill, salt and pepper.
- Whisk until combined.
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix until well coated.
- Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.
