Quick and Easy Tuna Pasta Salad — 👏🏻🧑🏻🍳 Jazz up a can of tuna with this FAST and EASY pasta salad that’s creamy, satisfying, and chock full of flavor! Perfect for lunch or as a great side dish for dinner! Made with simple, common, and inexpensive ingredients which is always a WIN!
Table of Contents
This tuna pasta salad is your easy lunch solution that’s not only fast but that’s also satisfying thanks to tender pieces of pasta and pieces of flaky tuna coated with a creamy, tangy dressing.
It’s also made with basic fridge and pantry ingredients that you likely have on hand. Wondering what to do with that random can of tuna in your pantry? Now you know!
It’s also a very budget-friendly meal. With the price of groceries these days, I am in full support of being able to take advantage of less expensive meals when I can!
Serve it as it is, or alongside a piece of (leftover) chicken you may have for lunch, or as a great side dish for dinner with your favorite burgers or in colder months, pair it with a hearty soup and call it a day.
Ingredients in This Recipe
For this easy and fast tuna mayo pasta salad you’ll need the following ingredients.
Pasta Salad
- Cooked pasta – small shaped pasta such as rotini like I used or elbow macaroni, small shells, wheels, bowtie, farfalle, penne, or your favorite
- Canned tuna – I prefer the newer packets of tuna they sell (nothing to drain) or look for canned tuna in water. I use albacore tuna. You can use canned tuna packed in oil if that’s more your speed
- Peas – use fresh or frozen peas (thaw and drain well if using frozen)
- Sweet pickle relish
- Seasoning salt
- Fresh or dried dill
- Fresh parsley, green onions, or fresh herbs – optional for garnishing
Creamy Dressing
- Mayonnaise – also see the FAQs if you’re wondering if you can sub anything for the mayo
- Sour cream – substitutions discussed in the FAQs as well
- Lemon juice – fresh is best
- Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How To Make Pasta Salad with Tuna
- Boil the pasta according to package instructions in a large pot, drain, rinse, and add to a large bowl.
- Add the tuna, peas, relish, seasoning salt or spices, and dill.
- Whisk together all the dressing or sauce ingredients, pour it over the other ingredients, and stir and toss to combine.
- Cover and chill well before serving and garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
Storage and Make-Ahead Instructions
In the Refrigerator: This recipe will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
Make Ahead – Dressing: My suggestion if you’re trying to get ahead for a party or event is that you can prepare the dressing a day in advance, cover it, and refrigerate it. Give the dressing a good stir before adding it to the salad!
Make Ahead – Salad: You can prep it the night before, cover, and refrigerate. Add the dressing the next day just before serving and stir well to combine.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, feel free to use your favorite small-shaped pasta such as rotini which is what I used, or use elbow macaroni for tuna macaroni salad, small shells, wheels, bowtie, farfalle, penne, or your favorite. You can use whole-grain pasta or gluten-free pasta (that you’ve tested and you know you like, because I have not tested with GF pasta).
I recommend using packets of tuna in water for absolute ease so there’s nothing drain. Use two packets if they’re about 2.6-ounces each. Or use a can of well-drained tuna packed in water. Most cans are 5 ounces, so use 1 can. I am not a fan of tuna packed in oil, but if you are, you can use it as long as it’s drained.
It’s rare to have fresh leftover tuna (from a whole fish that you cooked the day before) on hand but if you do, flake it, make sure to carefully check for bones, and you can use it in the pasta salad.
Yes you can really use most any type of protein that you’d like from canned salmon to canned chicken. If you have shrimp on hand, my Shrimp Pasta Salad is a winner!
For sure! Don’t like or don’t have peas on hand? Omit them. Carrots sound better to you? Great add them because you can add or substitute vegetables according to your preferences. Diced celery, cucumber, or zucchini are great options. If you want it more herby, add extra fresh dill, fresh basil, or mint.
If you don’t have Lawry’s Seasoned Salt on hand, use a mix of onion powder and garlic powder. Love shredded cheese? Add some shredded cheddar or crumbled feta. This is a VERY flexible recipe.
Yes and no. In order to really coat the pasta you do need to use the mayo and sour cream called for in the recipe. I have reduced each as much as possible that I think I can get away with, yet still provide the creaminess the recipe needs, so that neither the pasta nor the tuna are dry. As a compromise if you’re really concerned, you could reduce the mayo by 1/4 cup and see if it’s enough and add more if you need it.
The mayo provides more of the creaminess and the sour cream adds a bit more tang. You can substitute the sour cream for thick Greek yogurt if you’d like. Don’t use regular yogurt! It’s too thin.
You could likely use reduced fat or lite versions of both the mayo and sour cream in this recipe, although I have only personally tested with full-fat.
what to serve with tuna pasta salad
This pea tuna pasta salad is a wonderful side dish for dinner alongside grilled chicken or fish. Or as a light and satisfying standalone meal for a simple lunch or protein-filled afternoon snack.
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Tuna Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound rotini pasta, or small-shaped pasta such as small shells, macaroni, wheels, bowtie, etc.
- 5 ounces water-packed tuna, drained, from one 5-ounce can or two 2.5-ounce packets
- ½ cup peas, I use frozen that I thaw and drain well; or fresh peas are fine
- ¼ cup sweet pickle relish
- 1 ¼ cups mayonnaise
- ¾ cup sour cream, thick Greek yogurt may be substituted
- 1 to 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 to 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons seasoning salt, such as Lawry’s or a mixture of onion powder and garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried dill, or 1 teaspoon fresh dill, finely minced
- Salt, as desired to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, as desired to taste
- Minced fresh parsley (or thinly sliced green onions), optional for garnishing, to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta to al dente according to package directions. Rinse pasta under cold water when done boiling to stop the cooking process. Drain well and add pasta to a large bowl. Tip – Add a tablespoon or so of olive oil to the pasta cooking water while it's boiling to help prevent sticking.
- Add the tuna, peas, pickle relish, and stir to combine. Set aside momentarily.
- To a medium bowl, add all the mayo, sour cream, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, seasoning salt, dill, and whisk to combine.
- Add the dressing to the pasta bowl and stir and toss to combine and coat evenly. Tip – If for some reason it's at all dry, or you want it extra creamy, feel free to add another tablespoon or two of mayo and/or sour cream, as desired. All brands of pasta/tuna will absorb the dressing a bit differently so you can tweak this as desired.
- Taste and as desired, add salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Tip – If the pasta salad tastes at all boring or dull, it likely needs more salt, so don't be afraid to add it. The same goes for pepper, but salt is more critical.
- You can serve it immediately, but I prefer to chill it covered for at least 30 minutes, and serve it chilled. Optionally garnish as desired before serving.
- Storage – Extra pasta salad will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Make sure to give it a good stir before serving the leftovers. This isn't a recipe I recommend freezing.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Enjoyed the flavor but the dressing was quickly absorbed causing it to be dry. I did add some finely chopped onions and celery would be good too. Will make more dressing to add to the leftovers. Very much enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for sharing!!
Thank you for trying the recipe, Dawn. Yes this is a drier pasta salad rather than really moist BUT if you like it moister, you can make more of the dressing for next time. I am making a few notes to the recipe right now to help others making it in the future. Thank you for your feedback!