Tuna Pasta Salad

This simple Tuna Pasta Salad recipe makes the perfect summer dish for cookouts and weeknight dinners. With tuna fish and Greek yogurt dressing, this pasta salad is healthy and high protein. Everyone will love it!

Simple Tuna Pasta Salad

The heat is getting unbearable these days. Our thermometer reads a scorching 99°F, and all we want are quick and easy recipes that don’t require turning on the stove or oven. Welcome to pasta salads! From Italian pasta salad to Caprese pasta salad and now tuna pasta salads, cold noodle dishes are the perfect recipe for weeknight dinners, quick lunches, cookouts and picnics.

You will love this easy pasta salad with tuna. It comes together in just 15 minutes in a bowl, plus it’s perfect for meal prepping. Make a large bowl ahead and you will have cold tuna pasta salad for the week. This dish is also healthy and good for the diet. With wholegrain noodles, Greek yogurt dressing and canned tuna fish, this recipe makes a complete, balanced meal. We have the protein, the carbs, the healthy fats and all the vitamins of fresh vegetables.

Oh and let’s not forget that this cold dish is so delicious! Each bite provides a combination of tastes and textures that is impossible to resist. Creamy zesty dressing, tender noodles, tasty tuna and crunchy vegetables. Kids and adults of all ages will be lining up for another helping.

Ingredients for tuna pasta salad

• Pasta – Choose short pasta noodles like fusilli, rotini, penne, farfalle, or elbow macaroni. For more fibers I used wholegrain fusilli.
• Canned tuna – I like the one which is packed in water because it is lower in fats and calories. But you can also use tuna packed in oil.
• Vegetables – Cherry tomatoes, red onion and crisp English cucumbers are my vegetables of choice. Feel free to use other greens like celery stalk or peas.
• Black olives – I find that black olives marry very well with creamy tuna salad, adding more flavor and texture. You can replace them with green olives, kalamata olives, capers, or simply omit this ingredient.
• Dressing – This healthy tuna pasta salad recipe has a creamy dressing made with plain Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, olive oil, lemon juice, fresh dill, salt and pepper. Rich, but also light.

How to make tuna pasta salad

This is just an overview of the step-by-step process. You will find complete directions with more details in the recipe card down below, at the end of the blog post. But for the moment, stick around and read along the lines. Here’s how to make it.

First, prepare the healthy dressing. In a small bowl or in a mason jar, combine Greek yogurt with mayonnaise, olive oil, lemon juice, fresh dill, salt and pepper. Stir the dressing until creamy.

Cook pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions, until al dente. Once cooked, drain, transfer to a large mixing bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Let cool completely.

While the pasta is cooking, drain and rinse the canned tuna. I like rinsing it twice to remove the strong fishy flavor.

In a large mixing bowl, combine your cooked pasta with drained tuna fish, sliced black olives, halved tomatoes, diced red onion and sliced cucumber. Pour the creamy dressing over the salad and toss to coat evenly.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dish for at least 30 minutes to allow all flavors to meld. Before serving, toss the noodle salad to distribute dressing and flavors.

Tuna pasta salad ideas and variations

• Try making pasta salad with fresh tuna in fillets. Grill it or bake it, then chop into bite-sized pieces and throw into the cold noodles. Tender, juicy, and oh so satisfying.
• Make a no mayo tuna pasta salad by replacing the 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise with more Greek yogurt. Your dish is going to be lower in fats and lower in calories.
• This recipe is loaded with cherry tomatoes, red onion and crisp cucumber. But why not experimenting with other vegetables such as chopped celery stalks or diced red bell peppers?! Peas and corn are also perfect add-ins.
• You should definitely try this healthy, high protein tuna pasta salad with creamy avocado. Dice a large ripe avocado and throw it straight into the bowl with all other ingredients. It will add plenty of flavor, texture and healthy fats.

Make ahead & Storage

This tuna salad pasta salad can be eaten on the same day, or it can be made ahead for later. To store, place leftovers into an airtight food container, seal with the lid and refrigerate for a maximum of 3 days. Before serving, toss the salad to redistribute the dressing. Enjoy your pasta chilled or at room temperature.

Unfortunately pasta salads do not freeze well. The noodles lose texture while the dressing separates and becomes watery when frozen and thawed.

More pasta salad recipes

• Caprese pasta salad
• Italian pasta salad
• Orzo salad
• Chicken pasta salad