Tuna Pasta Salad
Why You’ll Love This Tuna Pasta Salad
A little bit of everything: Minced vegetables, pickles, herbs, and tuna create a melody of flavors and textures in every bite.
Bright and tangy: Dill pickles, Dijon, and tomatoes add acidity that keeps the creamy dressing from feeling heavy.
Creamy, not too rich: A mix of Greek yogurt and mayo gives the dressing plenty of creaminess with a sour kick.
Fresh and crunchy: Celery, carrots, red onion, and fresh herbs bring flavor and freshness. It’s nourishing and not too heavy.
Easy to make ahead: A fridge-friendly lunch or an easy side dish.
Great for using what you have: Swap in different fresh herbs or vegetables depending on what’s hanging out in your fridge.
This tuna pasta salad is creamy, tangy, fresh, and packed with little bits of celery, carrot, red onion, dill pickle, basil, and celery greens.
I mince most of the vegetables pretty small, so you get a taste of each flavor in every bite, while the quartered cherry tomatoes stay a little bigger for juicy pops of freshness.
The dressing is simple: mayo and yogurt with Dijon, garlic, salt, and pepper. The pickles bring a little tang, the tomatoes add brightness, and the tuna makes it hearty enough to be a meal.
And yes, there’s a little knife work involved. But once everything is chopped, the rest comes together quickly.
Ingredients
300 g shell pasta (about ⅔ of a 500 g bag)
1 can albacore tuna, drained
1/3 cup celery, finely minced
1/3 cup carrot, finely shredded, then minced
1/3 cup red onion, finely minced
3/4 cup dill pickles, diced
3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup fresh basil, finely minced
1/4 cup celery greens, finely minced
1 large garlic clove, minced
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup Greek or plain yogurt
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
Instructions
1. Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the shell pasta according to the package directions until just tender. Drain, spread out on a sheet pan, and put in the fridge to cool.
2. Prep the vegetables: While the pasta cools, finely mince the celery, shredded carrot, red onion, basil, celery greens, and garlic. Dice the pickles and quarter the cherry tomatoes. Keeping most of the vegetables small helps distribute them throughout the salad.
3. Make the dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, Dijon, garlic, salt, and black pepper.
4. Add the mix-ins: Add the cooled pasta, tuna, celery, carrot, red onion, pickles, tomatoes, basil, and celery greens to the bowl.
5. Toss: Stir everything together until the pasta and vegetables are evenly coated. Taste and adjust the salt or pepper as needed.
6. Chill and serve: Refrigerate before serving to let the flavors come together. Give it a good stir before serving.
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