This Healthy Tuna Pasta Salad is made with elbow noodles, peas, tuna, celery, red onion, mayonnaise, and Greek yogurt. It’s an easy, healthy, dish that is family-friendly and great for meal prep.
This recipe has been updated and was originally posted on 2012.
I grew up eating this tuna pasta salad recipe. My sister would make it at least once a week and we would eat it for both lunch and dinner.
It’s light, delicious, and packed with protein. You can make it with staple ingredients you have in your fridge, freezer, and pantry.
How To Make Tuna Pasta Salad
Cook your pasta according to the package instructions. You can use any type of pasta you prefer.
If you want to add more protein to the dish, try a bean or lentil pasta. If you want more fiber, try a whole grain pasta.
Transfer cooked pasta to a large bowl. Add in chopped onions, celery, peas, tuna, yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
Stir everything together, test for seasoning and enjoy!
How Long Does Tuna Pasta Salad Last In The Fridge?
This healthy tuna pasta salad will last in the fridge for up to 5 days when kept in an airtight container.
How Do You Keep Tuna Pasta Moist?
When kept in the fridge, the pasta will begin to absorb the mayonnaise and yogurt which can make the salad taste less creamy.
To keep the salad nice and moist, add an extra dollop of yogurt (or mayo) right before serving.
Thanks so much for reading! You can watch the video down below and if you make this recipe I would love for you to give it a ★ rating below. And be sure to follow me on YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and, FaceBook for more healthy food inspiration!
Tuna Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup diced red onion
- 1 cup diced celery
- 2 cans of chunk light tuna packed in water and drained
- 3 cups elbow pasta, cooked
- 1 cup frozen peas defrosted
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water.
- In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta onion, celery, tuna, peas, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
- Stir well and enjoy!
Margi says
I loved this simple and easy recipe! I’m not a huge fan of yogurt but I do really like this flavor!
Lisa says
What size cans of tuna?
Dani says
5-6 ounces:)
Diane says
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!!
Patricia Thompson says
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?
Dani says
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!
Dee says
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.
Nastassia D. (@TasciaD) says
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.
DeeDee says
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.
Kim says
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!
Antoinette says
I would love to make this but I don’t eat mayo, what else can I use?
Dani says
Just skip the mayo and use a little extra yogurt. Will be delish!
Maureen says
I left out the pasta and used this as filling in a whole wheat tortilla. Yum!
jennifer says
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.
Dani says
Thanks for stopping by to let me know! I’m honored and so glad you enjoyed it:)
Mayumi Pecson says
Hi Dani. We do not have a wine vinegar where i live. What can i use to substitute the red wine vinegar?
Dani says
You can use apple cider vinegar:)
Sue says
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.
Dani says
So glad you enjoyed it Sue. Thanks for letting me know!
MARY E STEWART says
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
Dani says
So glad you enjoyed it!
nancy says
This was so easy to make and incredibly delicious! Already made it twice (don’t worry…I’m single and only using one can of tuna)!