Perfect as a quick dinner, an easy lunch, or barbecue side dish, this creamy tuna pasta salad recipe with mayo is simple to make and a real crowd-pleaser!
Pasta shells are combined with tinned tuna and fresh salad vegetables in a creamy mayonnaise and Greek yogurt dressing, flavoured with fresh dill, parsley, and garlic. You might also like my chicken and bacon pasta salad!
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We love this easy tuna pasta salad with a creamy mayonnaise and yogurt dressing when the weather warms up. It's our barbecue favourite, perfect for school lunchboxes and beach picnics.
👩🍳 Have you seen my easy curried rice salad? Another delicious summer salad recipe to try!
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✔️ Why should you try it?
- Quick and easy to make.
- Filling and hearty.
- Easily adapted to suit your own tastes.
- Delicious as a barbecue side dish or for packed lunches.
🥘 Ingredients
Pasta - use shells or other short pasta (like fusilli) as they are great at holding the tuna mayo dressing.
Tuna - tinned tuna in brine or spring water works best for this recipe. I find that tuna in oil makes the salad too greasy.
Fresh Salad Vegetables - I used chopped spring onions, cucumber, and red pepper, but you could also add sweetcorn, cooked peas, or green beans.
For the creamy dressing you will need;
- Mayonnaise
- Greek Yogurt
- White Wine Vinegar
- Garlic - 1 clove, finely chopped or crushed.
- Fresh Herbs - dill and parsley work well together and go great with the tuna.
- Salt and Pepper
🔪 How to make creamy tuna pasta salad
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Cook the pasta according to instructions, drain, rinse in cold water and set aside.
Two: Mix together the dressing ingredients in a bowl.
Three: Place the cooked pasta, drained tinned tuna, and chopped salad vegetables in a large mixing bowl.
Four: Pour on the dressing and gently mix with a spoon until everything is lightly coated in the creamy dressing.
Five: Refrigerate until needed.
Top Tips
- Rinse the cooked pasta in cold water as soon as it is drained. This helps to remove excess starch from the pasta, thus preventing the pasta shells from sticking together.
- Chill the pasta salad for at least an hour prior to serving, to let those flavours develop.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Serve the tuna mayo pasta salad in a pretty bowl as part of a barbecue, or spoon it into snack pots for an easy lunch or picnic. Garnish with more chopped fresh parsley and dill.
You can also serve it as an easy dinner on a warm summers day with courgette fritters or courgette and feta frittata and homemade pesto focaccia!
📖 Variations
- Swap the tinned tuna for tinned salmon, chopped cooked chicken breasts, or Quorn pieces.
- Make a healthy tuna pasta salad by using wholewheat pasta and swapping the mayo dressing for a lighter vinaigrette.
- Use different salad vegetables. Halved cherry tomatoes, celery, and radishes would work well.
- Add a tin of drained sweetcorn to make tuna and sweetcorn pasta salad.
- Use a finely chopped red onion in place of the spring onions.
- Add in 150g of cubed feta or cheddar and a handful of pitted black olives for a flavour boost.
- Lower the fat by using low-fat mayonnaise and fat-free yogurt.
🥡 Storage
Tuna pasta salad can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store it in an airtight container to retain maximum freshness.
It's a great make-ahead recipe and I often whip up a batch of this pasta salad on a Sunday night, ready for weekday lunches!
❓ FAQS
Greek yogurt, creme fraiche, or even an oil-based salad dressing can be used instead of mayonnaise.
Tuna pasta salad will keep in the fridge for 3 days, as long as it is stored in an air-tight container.
Tuna is low in fat and high in protein. It also has a high content of omega-3 oils and may support brain function, help lower cholesterol, and reduce blood pressure.
😋Related recipes
More summery recipes to enjoy when the weather is warm!
- Halloumi Couscous Salad
- Tuna Sweetcorn Sandwich Filler
- Coronation Chicken Pasta Salad
- Spicy Potato Salad
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
- Apple Coleslaw
- Tinned Tuna Burgers
- Courgette and Feta Burgers
- Fruity Rice Salad
- Prawn, Avocado and Mango Salad
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Recipe
Creamy Tuna Pasta Salad with Mayo
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Equipment
- Chopping Board
- Knife
- Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
- 250 g Pasta shells, bows or fusilli
- 2 tins (145g) Tuna in Brine drained
- 5 Spring Onions peeled and sliced
- 1 Red Pepper cut into chunks
- ½ Cucumber cut in halve lengthways, deseeded and chopped into chunks
For the dressing
- 100 g Mayonnaise
- 100 g Greek Yogurt
- 2 tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
- 1 Garlic Clove peeled and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon Dill chopped
- 2 tablespoon Parsley chopped
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to instructions, drain, rinse in cold water and set aside.250 g Pasta
- Mix together the dressing ingredients in a bowl.100 g Mayonnaise, 100 g Greek Yogurt, 2 tablespoon White Wine Vinegar, 1 Garlic Clove, 2 tablespoon Dill, 2 tablespoon Parsley, Salt and Pepper
- Place the cooked pasta, drained tinned tuna, and chopped salad vegetables in a large mixing bowl.2 tins (145g) Tuna in Brine, 5 Spring Onions, 1 Red Pepper, ½ Cucumber, 250 g Pasta
- Pour on the dressing and gently mix with a spoon until everything is lightly coated in the creamy dressing.
- Refrigerate until needed.
Notes
- Rinse the cooked pasta in cold water as soon as it is drained. This helps to remove excess starch from the pasta, thus preventing the pasta shells from sticking together.
- Chill the pasta salad for at least an hour prior to serving, to let those flavours develop.
- Swap the tinned tuna for chopped cooked chicken breasts or Quorn pieces.
- Use different salad vegetables. Halved cherry tomatoes, celery and radishes would work well.
- Use a finely chopped red onion in place of the spring onions.
- Add in 150g of cubed feta and a handful of pitted black olives for a flavour boost.
- Lower the fat by using low-fat mayonnaise and fat-free yogurt.
Angela says
Thank you for the great recipe! My mom used to make a salad close to this. My family loved it.
Rosemary says
This is such a winning salad and always a crowd-pleaser. Thanks for the recipe and for the substitutions for mayonnaise. Can't wait to make it soon when the weather warms up 🙂
Tara Teaspoon says
Tuna Pasta Salad is such a great recipe for when I am on the go. This one is slightly different from what I normally make, but it was sooo good!
Jessica Formicola says
I love quick and easy dishes, and this pasta salad is just that! I can't wait to make it for all of our summer gatherings!
Sara Welch says
Such a perfect recipe for busy weeknights! Adding this to my dinner line up for the week; looks too good to pass up!