Our tuna pasta salad is reminiscent of your mom’s or grandma’s classic tuna recipes. It’s a bit updated but just as delicious as tuna dishes you might remember from your childhood. Pasta salad recipes are easy, economical and family-friendly.
Pasta salads are a great go-to meal during the warm weather months. If you’d like to try more hearty pasta salad recipes, check out our chicken pasta salad, taco pasta salad, and chicken caesar pasta salad.
Let’s make this!
What I Love About This Recipe
Tuna pasta salad is easy to make but so satisfying to eat! You probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry and fridge. This recipe is a winner for so many reasons:
- It’s Total comfort food!
- Family-friendly-kids Love this salad
- Quick prep time
Tuna Pasta Salad Ingredients
This tuna pasta salad recipe uses ingredients that are easy to find and budget-friendly as well. Here are a few suggestions to help make this pasta salad one of your family’s favorites.
- Pasta: This recipe is written for 12 ounces of dry pasta. If you use additional noodles, be sure to make a little more dressing. You want to be sure every noodle is coated in the yummy dressing. Elbows are a great choice here because the dressing flavors each hollow noodle from the inside out.
- Tomatoes: Roma tomatoes tend to have very firm flesh which is why we like them in this dish. If you’re using a different type of tomato and it has lots of liquid, dice it and put a little sprinkle of salt on it. Then let the tomato pieces drain in a colander for about 30 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Tuna: If your family has a favorite seasoning for tuna you can use that in your tuna pasta salad too. It will add an extra layer of flavor to an already tasty meal.
- Onion: Red onion adds a nice kick to this creamy dish. If you have a different type of onion at home, that will work well too. Scallions are also a great substitute here.
- Dressing: Tuna pasta salad gets better when the noodles have time to absorb the dressing. This is a great make-ahead meal because the flavor improves with time.
Tips
Pasta Texture: Cooking your pasta to al dente to ensures that the noodles don’t get soggy when they soak up all that delicious dressing. The noodles should still be a bit firm when you bite into them.
Dressing Too Thick? If you find that the dressing has gotten a bit too thick, toss with 1 tablespoon at a time of milk or water. This will return the dressing to its perfect, smooth consistency.
How To Make Tuna Pasta Salad
- Rinse the cooked pasta.
- Combine all the dressing ingredients.
- Mix.
- Add the macaroni.
- Add the tomatoes.
- Add the canned tuna.
- Serve.
***See the full instructions below.
Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead
- Storage Tips: Tuna stays fresh longer when it is kept as cold as possible in the fridge. Try not to leave your pasta salad out on the counter too long, and any leftovers you have will be perfect for a snack later.
- How Long Can You Keep This? Once the tuna is removed from its can (or pouch), it will last 3-5 days in the refrigerator. Remember to keep it cold and well-covered when you’re not nibbling on the tuna pasta salad.
- Can You Freeze This Best Tuna Pasta Salad Recipe In The World? Many of the ingredients in the tuna pasta salad don’t do well when frozen. The pasta and celery tend to get soggy if frozen, and the mayo doesn’t stand up to the freezer well either. Don’t worry though, this recipe is so good, you probably won’t have leftovers!
- Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link.
Check Out All My Pasta Salad Recipes!
More Pasta Salad Recipes
- Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
- Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
- Classic Macaroni Salad
- Southern Macaroni Salad
- Antipasto Salad
- Mediterranean Pasta Salad
- Greek Pasta Salad
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Macaroni Salad with Egg
- Pasta Salad With Italian Dressing
- Shrimp Pasta Salad
- Elote Pasta Salad
Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tuna Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 12 ounces pasta cooked according to package instructions to al dente and well drained
- 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup celery finely chopped
- 1 cup red onion finely chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh dill roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons relish
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups Roma tomato (about 3-4 tomatoes) seeds removed and chopped
- 5 (5-ounce) cans tuna drained
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise (1 1/2 cups), apple cider vinegar (2 tablespoons), milk (1/2 cup), celery (1 cup), red onion (1 cup), relish (3 tablespoons), dill (1/2 cup), salt (2 teaspoons), and pepper (1/2 teaspoon) until smooth.
- Fold in pasta until evenly coated then gently fold in tomato (2 cups) and tuna (5 cans). If the dressing becomes too thick, fold in 1-2 tablespoons, as needed, of milk or water to thin.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Cooking your pasta to al dente, or slightly undercooked, ensures that the noodles don’t get soggy when they soak up all that delicious dressing. The noodles should still be a bit firm when you bite into them.
Nutrition
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This recipe sounds excellent. I can’t wait to make it for our next cookout or for a meal. One question, for the relish, are you using sweet relish or a dill pickle relish?
Hi, Joan! I use sweet relish 🙂
Very good salad! I was able to add dill pickle and some of its juice cause all I had was sweet relish. I also added some green onion along with the red. You are right; cider vinegar takes a minimum of 2 Tb. I’m looking forward to trying your other recipes. God bless!
Hi Tammy! So happy to hear that you enjoyed the Tuna Pasta Salad! I hope you find many more recipes you enjoy! Happy cooking <3
Followed your recipe exactly but cut all ingreds in half for just the 2 of us. Still made plenty. It’s so good, I was looking for a change from my same old. Love your easy American chop suey recipe too, always on rotation here. Ty for sharing.
You’re welcome, Cheryl! This made my day ?
Made as directed. Best I ever had
Thanks, Dave! 😀
Yummy!
Thanks! 🙂
Thislooks delicious. What kind of relish did you use?
Hi June. I like sweet relish <3
5 cans of tuna seems like a lot.
Hi Judy. You can adjust the number for your preferences. I like lots of tuna with the pasta!
You left out the tuna…..oops.
Is that important? Oh HEAVENS! Thank you Christine, I just amended the recipe <3!