It’s officially H.O.T. outside, so I’m leaning into my cold pasta salads hard these days! This Tuna Pasta Salad is an easy classic that is cool, creamy, inexpensive, and it keeps me full. This one is seriously simple and it’s the perfect salad for summer BBQs, potlucks, to pack for lunches, or to have a quick cold meal when you’re sweating it out in this heat. So bookmark it now because you’ll want to revisit it, again and again, this summer!
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What’s In Tuna Pasta Salad
This classic recipe is really simple and most of the ingredients are fairly inexpensive. To make this tuna pasta salad you’ll need:
- Pasta – We used small shells, but you can use any small shape. Bowtie pasta is another great option.
- Tuna – Canned tuna is probably the most expensive ingredient in this pasta salad, but a little goes a long way! We used two 5oz. cans to span all six servings. If you want to reduce the price even further, drop down to one can and increase the amount of peas for more protein!
- Onion – A little onion adds depth of flavor and a lot of great crunch to this salad. We used red onion for color, but a sweet onion also works!
- Dressing – This tuna salad uses a super simple homemade dressing made with mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and dried dill. Simple but good!
what Kind of Tuna to Use
I prefer chunk light tuna for this pasta salad because it’s a good balance between affordable and having a good texture for the salad. Tuna labeled “solid” will have larger prettier pieces, but usually fetches a higher price. Albicore or white tuna will have a lighter color and a milder flavor. …but I kind of like the stronger taste of tuna for this salad!
Variations on Tuna Pasta Salad
Tuna pasta salad has been a classic for decades and everyone makes it a little different. If you want to branch out from the recipe below, here are some other ingredients you can try:
- Add diced cheddar for more richness
- Substitute half of the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt for a slightly lighter flavor
- Substitute the onion with shallots for a milder onion flavor
- Add diced celery for more crunch
- Add diced hard-boiled egg for more inexpensive protein
- Add a couple tablespoons of dill or sweet relish for more flavor
- Try canned salmon in place of the tuna
- Add fresh herbs (dill, parsley, tarragon, green onion)
Can You Make Tuna Pasta Salad Ahead?
You can make tuna pasta salad ahead of time, which can be helpful for potlucks and BBQs, but it’s definitely best when eaten on the same day it’s prepared. I would advise against making it more than one day ahead because it will begin to dry out the longer it stays in the refrigerator. Luckily, this pasta salad is a snap to make, so it’s easy to whip up on the day of!
Tuna Pasta Salad with Peas
Servings 6 about 1 cup eachIngredients
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise ($0.92)
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice ($0.12)
- 1/4 tsp dried dill ($0.03)
- ¾ tsp salt ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
- 1/2 cup diced red onion ($0.11)
- 1 cup frozen peas ($0.47)
- 12 oz. mini shell pasta ($1.13)
- 2 5oz. cans chunk light tuna, drained ($1.98)
Instructions
- Make the dressing first. Combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, dill, salt, and pepper in a bowl, then set the dressing aside.
- Finely dice the red onion and measure out the frozen peas.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the pasta and continue to boil until it's almost fully tender (about 5-6 minutes), then add the frozen peas. Continue to cook the pasta and peas together for the last minute or two, or until the pasta is fully tender. Drain the pasta and peas well in a colander, allowing them to cool.
- Once the pasta and peas are well drained and mostly cooled, transfer them to a large bowl. Add the diced red onion, drained tuna, and prepared dressing. Fold the ingredients together until everything is evenly combined and coated in dressing. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat.
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Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Tuna Pasta Salad – Step By Step Photos
Make the dressing first. Combine ¾ cup mayonnaise, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, ¾ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, and ¼ tsp dried dill. Stir everything together, then set the dressing aside.
Finely dice about ½ cup of red onion. Measure 1 cup of frozen peas.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add 12 oz. small shell pasta (or any other small shape) and boil just until tender. When the pasta is almost cooked through, add the frozen peas and let them cook with the pasta for the last two minutes. Drain the pasta and peas well in a colander, allowing them to cool.
When the pasta and peas have drained well and cooled down (slightly warm is okay), add them to a large bowl with two drained 5oz. cans of tuna, the diced red onion, and the prepared dressing.
Gently fold the ingredients together until everything is evenly mixed and coated in dressing.
Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat!
spice this up with flavour, add some cayenne! yum!
+ a handful of baked (cherry) tomato + chopped sweet onion, raw chopped garlic and edamame (for more protein)
I followed this recipe exactly except I used macaroni noodles instead of bow-tie! I loved how simple this recipe was and how delicious it tasted. It definitely satisfied my prego craving for tuna pasta salad. ;)
I LOVE peas in my tuna pasta. I like the petitie peas and I also usually add 1/2 lb bacon to it too. Its pretty sinful and sounds wrong but who cares when it tastes so good!
I’ve made and eaten countless Tuna Macs with mostly the same ingredients. It was a staple in the little Vermont town where I grew up. When I saw this recipe here (on my favorite food blog) I thought, I’ll try it! I always add too much mayo, so I thought Beth’s proportions would be helpful. But it ended up WAY better than the Tuna Mac I’m used to because of the lemon! And there’s way more peas in this recipe than I’m used to and I LOVE it. Thanks! !
Agree with the positive reviews on this. It creates a great pasta salad base that you can play with. I added peas and broccoli to the pasta during the last minute of boiling to expedite the the thawing process. Also added red peppers to the mayo lemon sauce.
This is shocking I know, but I made this *exactly as instructed here* and it was delicious. No additions, no substitutions — doesn’t need it for me! This is great.
Just discovered your site here and love it!
I made this just now and it’d yummy! Added a bit of chopped cilantro before serving..
Love your blog!
yummy! I will make this and I’m so thrilled I found this website!! I’m on a tight budget yet I’m health conscious, so thank you! :)
I made a version of this when I was in college. Great minds! It is easy, fast and delicious. I like adding shredded cheddar and crushed ritz crackers.
Made this for dinner and munching on it right now! Great recipe, I love the freshness the lemon gives the dish. Definitely a keeper!
Yummo! I added radish, dill, celery, and red bell pepper. Think I might do cheddar and bacon next time. Thank you so much I love your recipes!!!
Maybe try a vegan mayonnaise, they don’t contain any eggs.
What to sub for mayo? I allergic
Just made this, added a little dill, and wowee it was GREAT! Can’t wait to dive into the leftovers.