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 (we also made this Italian pasta salad, a lot!). 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!
Niki says
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!
Ann says
I have made similar recipes with the canned chicken. My son does not eat tuna.
Janet says
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
Dani says
I totally forgot to post it (YIKES!) – it’s up there now!!
Louise says
What a great idea. I’ll pick up the ingredients today for my lunch tomorrow. Really good idea Dani.
Dani says
Enjoy!
vicki says
Agree – looking for a recipe to print so I can get the nutritional information.
Dani says
Ooops!!! Just posted it… sorry about that!
Robert Richards Recipes says
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. 😀
Ognena says
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
Louise says
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
Kate says
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!
Emily says
I love to use Greek Yogurt whenever possible. Great nutritional value and adds such creaminess. Thanks for posting this, Dani!
Frances says
Hi Dani, thanks for all the amazing recipes. Just wondering if this recipe is okay to freeze/defrost?
Cheers 🙂
Mike W says
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!
Lauren says
Loving your recipes! Made the brown rice and spinach fritatta yesterday and had for lunch… Going to try this one tonight! Can’t wait 🙂
JoyinChaos says
This looks great. I’m making it tonight. What size cans of tuna did you use?
Alissa says
Made this yesterday for dinner and have it in the fridge for lunch today. Your recipes are always a hit…really!
Joelle says
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.
Lau says
Hi Dani…
How long does this yummy tuna pasta keep ??
Dani says
About 3 days in the fridge:)
Brittany says
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!! 🙂
Susan says
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!
Firah Esham says
Hi Dani, is there any alternatives instead of using the red wine vinegar?
LaKendra says
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!
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:)
Laura Winston says
Delicious.I used the tuna brand that you use.I think it made it tasty. Thanks for sharing.I give it 5 stars
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!
Karen says
This is so good! The red wine vinegar is the secret ingredient that makes it extra great! I tried red lentil pasta with it and it turned out perfectly!
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)!
Melanie says
You’ve done it again….another wonderful, healthy recipe. I was hesitant to do the Greek yogurt but followed your recipe exactly and would never have known it had yogurt in it. My husband was surprised as well. This is definitely be in the rotation. Thanks Dani!
Julie S says
Delicious recipe! The combination of yogurt, mayo and red wine vinegar made this a most unique dish. Thank you, this will be one of our staples!
Carol-Anne says
This was so yummy. Will definitely be putting this in my regular rotation. Quick and easy. I used ancient grain rotini as that’s what I had in the pantry. Thanks for all of your clean and delicious recipes!
Dani says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for letting me know.
Nicole says
I was so nervous to make this but it turned out to be a new favorite in this house!
Jeannette says
Just made this today. Thought the peas were not going to go well with the tuna but it is delicious. I also used wheat pasta instead of regular. Great for meal prep. Thank you Dani.
Sara says
Love this recipe!! I added some bacon crumbles and a handful of shredded Colby jack to it. My daughter ate it up!! So, so delicious!
Kim says
Simple, delicious and comforting! I actually really loved the combo of yogurt and mayo. It gave a nice creaminess without all the extra fat. I was pleasantly surprised. Thanks for sharing!
Maria says
Made this recipe today! I was so pleased with it! The pasta salad is so fresh, crunchy, and just hits the spot in every way! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Karen horn says
Nice warmer day out and I made this. Delicious! I usually just throw in whatever is in the fridge but not today! Will definitly make this again! Bring on summer!