This was a recipe that I (sorta) stole from my sister.
Her recipe uses white pasta and about a half a jar of mayo.
It’s delicious BUT I really wanted to clean it up a bit using ingredients that work better for me and my body-body!
So, as you’ll see, I subbed in some whole grain pasta, added some peas, and used (mostly) greek yogurt for the mayo.
This meal is like a tuna sammie in a bowl and just so happens to be a hit with the toddlers too.
Clean Eating Tuna Pasta Salad
Yield: 4-6 servings
Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:0 minutes
Total Time:15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup diced celery
- 2 cans of chunk light tuna packed in water and drained
- 3 cups, pre-cooked whole grain pasta
- 1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
- 2 tbsp mayo
- 1/2 cup fat free plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and combine well. Adjust seasonings a pack in individual containers so you can grab them for lunch all week long.Makes 4-6 servings.
About 3/4 cup:Calories: 218; Total Fat: 4.5g; Saturated Fat: 0.5g; Cholesterol: 27mg; Carbs: 26.4g; Dietary Fiber: 4.6g; Sugars: 3.9g; Protein: 17.4g
I love tuna but my husband doesn’t. Will this work with cooked chicken too? Or do you have a quick and easy chicken salad recipe? Thanks!
I have made similar recipes with the canned chicken. My son does not eat tuna.
HOw do I find the recipe so I can try it.. everytime I try to log in it sends me to the youtube video…thank you, Janet Looks yummy
I totally forgot to post it (YIKES!) – it’s up there now!!
What a great idea. I’ll pick up the ingredients today for my lunch tomorrow. Really good idea Dani.
Enjoy!
Agree – looking for a recipe to print so I can get the nutritional information.
Ooops!!! Just posted it… sorry about that!
You are a talented person to come up with a recipe like this one. I’m so happy you decided to share it with the world. 😀
This is such an awesome recipe, and you can always mix it up with different vegetables. I’ll be trying it out tomorrow for sure.
Dani, can you please tell how long can this pasta salad stay in the fridge?
Tx, O
Hi Dani,
I made the salad. I substituted grilled chicken only because they were leftovers. I also used veggie Rotini Tri Color noodles. It gave the salad great color. It was gone in one day. I really liked the crunchy peas. Next time I will use tuna.
Cheers
I was surprised at how yummy this recipe is, I love how you can not taste the Greek Yogurt, it taste as though it was made with all mayo! I will definitely be incorporating this ratio into my other salads. Thanks for a tasty healthy recipe!
I love to use Greek Yogurt whenever possible. Great nutritional value and adds such creaminess. Thanks for posting this, Dani!
Hi Dani, thanks for all the amazing recipes. Just wondering if this recipe is okay to freeze/defrost?
Cheers 🙂
Made this last night and packed it for lunch today and it was amazingly good. The longer it stays in the fridge the better it gets. I also noticed that it gave me energy after lunch and I didn’t feel tired and lethargic like I usually do. Keep these wonderful recipes coming! Yum!
Loving your recipes! Made the brown rice and spinach fritatta yesterday and had for lunch… Going to try this one tonight! Can’t wait 🙂
This looks great. I’m making it tonight. What size cans of tuna did you use?
Made this yesterday for dinner and have it in the fridge for lunch today. Your recipes are always a hit…really!
Kicked this one up a notch w/dijon mustard, fresh dill and a mixture of red & sweet onions. Yep! Co worker suggested kidney beans for an extra bit of protein & fun. Sure, why not.
Hi Dani…
How long does this yummy tuna pasta keep ??
About 3 days in the fridge:)
Wow, I was super skeptical about this recipe. It looked delicious, but the red wine vinegar threw me off when I read it. However, I made it, and its DELICIOUS! Seriously the best tuna salad recipe I have ever tried. Thank you!! 🙂
I was looking for a new pasta salad that was healthy too. I saw this on Pinterest today and made it for dinner tonight. It is SO good – thank you very much! You have a new fan!
Hi Dani, is there any alternatives instead of using the red wine vinegar?
Dani! I’m a fan! This had such great taste! I used what I had — 2 cups cooked rainbow twists, green peppers instead of celery and no peas (since I had none and am not the greatest of fans). Soooo good! In fact, it just might be the best tuna pasta salad (or tuna salad itself, for that matter) I have ever made. Love the addition of the red wine vinegar! And the lightness that comes from greek yogurt! Ah, permanent addition to my repertoire!
I loved this simple and easy recipe! I’m not a huge fan of yogurt but I do really like this flavor!
What size cans of tuna?
5-6 ounces:)
Another winning recipe, Dani!! I followed this to the letter except for the pasta. I used whole grain Rotini because I couldn’t find whole grain elbows in my store. It came out excellent! I’ll be sharing this with my friends. Oh, also, I honestly didn’t think the Greek yogurt/mayo mix would be good but I was pleasantly surprised! Thanks so much, Dani!! Keep doing what you are doing!!
I love your recipes and tips. It was recommended by my nutritionist to use your website and I am glad she told me about you. I love that you give us the Nutritional Analysis for each recipe but you don’t show the sodium level and I am watching my daily sodium intake for medical necessity. Why is that?
I don’t add the sodium simply because I don’t feel my measurements are accurate since I tend to season as I go. I would not want to put out false information!
Can you eat hot or cold? I can’t stand the taste or smell of yogurt, can you taste the yogurt? I’d love to try though.
I made this today , I couldn’t find any plain Greek yogurt so I used Yoplait Greek vanilla and veggie penne regati pasta. I only wished I had real mayo on hand instead of my Kraft fat free mayo. I used apple cider vinegar because I couldn’t find red wine vinegar. I love the taste best when the salad is heated.
I found that the 2 cans of tuna was to much. I will use only 1 can next time. I also found it needed alot seasoning it was very bland. I added in a tsp of relish and a tsp of mustard and it was much better.
Hi Dani!
I just discovered your recipes. I made this tuna pasta and your granola recipes today and have it ready for lunch this week. They are so delicious! I added corn and sliced apple to my pasta salad and used apple cider vinegar (I couldn’t find red wine vinegar too).Good swap out with using Greek yogurt. It still retains that creamy texture like mayo and tastes great. Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
I would love to make this but I don’t eat mayo, what else can I use?
Just skip the mayo and use a little extra yogurt. Will be delish!
I left out the pasta and used this as filling in a whole wheat tortilla. Yum!
I gave NEVER left a comment on a recipe before but this is sooooo GOOD that I HAD to! I hate yogurt of all kinds so I don’t even know why I made this (pic looked so good). Thanks so much for this recipe. PS I did’t use the vinegar and it was still devine.
Thanks for stopping by to let me know! I’m honored and so glad you enjoyed it:)
Hi Dani. We do not have a wine vinegar where i live. What can i use to substitute the red wine vinegar?
You can use apple cider vinegar:)
Just moved and doing lots of packing & unpacking. This recipe was so easy to put together in the midst of all the chaos and it will be great for a quick & healthy lunch. Thank you for sharing it., I didn’t have Red wine vinegar, so I tried some Key Lime juice that I had & it worked well.
So glad you enjoyed it Sue. Thanks for letting me know!
HELLO I MADE THE PASTA TUNA SALAD AND IT WAS GREAT.I REALLY NEEDED SOMETHING LIKE THIS.SOMETHING LITE.EAT RIGHT LIKE SALADS AND NOT FRIED FOODS ALL THE TIME.THANK YOU FRIEND
So glad you enjoyed it!