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
Niki
April 4, 2012 at 6:36 amI 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
February 17, 2017 at 5:26 amI have made similar recipes with the canned chicken. My son does not eat tuna.
Janet
April 4, 2012 at 8:23 amHOw 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
April 4, 2012 at 10:55 amI totally forgot to post it (YIKES!) – it’s up there now!!
Louise
April 4, 2012 at 8:52 amWhat a great idea. I’ll pick up the ingredients today for my lunch tomorrow. Really good idea Dani.
Dani
April 4, 2012 at 10:54 amEnjoy!
vicki
April 4, 2012 at 9:40 amAgree – looking for a recipe to print so I can get the nutritional information.
Dani
April 4, 2012 at 10:54 amOoops!!! Just posted it… sorry about that!
Robert Richards Recipes
April 5, 2012 at 9:47 amYou 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
April 5, 2012 at 2:41 pmThis 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
April 6, 2012 at 8:00 amHi 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
April 7, 2012 at 3:50 pmI 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
April 9, 2012 at 6:35 pmI love to use Greek Yogurt whenever possible. Great nutritional value and adds such creaminess. Thanks for posting this, Dani!
Frances
April 12, 2012 at 4:18 pmHi Dani, thanks for all the amazing recipes. Just wondering if this recipe is okay to freeze/defrost?
Cheers 🙂
Mike W
April 30, 2012 at 2:47 pmMade 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
May 2, 2012 at 2:31 pmLoving your recipes! Made the brown rice and spinach fritatta yesterday and had for lunch… Going to try this one tonight! Can’t wait 🙂
JoyinChaos
May 24, 2012 at 4:10 pmThis looks great. I’m making it tonight. What size cans of tuna did you use?
Alissa
June 5, 2012 at 10:51 amMade this yesterday for dinner and have it in the fridge for lunch today. Your recipes are always a hit…really!
Joelle
August 2, 2012 at 3:02 pmKicked 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
May 14, 2013 at 3:53 amHi Dani…
How long does this yummy tuna pasta keep ??
Dani
May 14, 2013 at 6:39 amAbout 3 days in the fridge:)
Brittany
May 29, 2013 at 5:42 pmWow, 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
June 11, 2013 at 6:21 pmI 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
July 16, 2013 at 7:53 amHi Dani, is there any alternatives instead of using the red wine vinegar?
LaKendra
July 22, 2013 at 11:43 amDani! 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
September 3, 2013 at 2:39 pmI loved this simple and easy recipe! I’m not a huge fan of yogurt but I do really like this flavor!
Lisa
September 8, 2013 at 2:36 pmWhat size cans of tuna?
Dani
September 10, 2013 at 2:57 am5-6 ounces:)
Diane
December 4, 2013 at 11:46 amAnother 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
December 11, 2013 at 12:35 pmI 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
December 13, 2013 at 6:55 amI 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
January 8, 2014 at 9:47 pmCan 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)
February 5, 2014 at 7:16 pmI 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
March 17, 2014 at 2:44 pmI 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
March 23, 2014 at 7:38 pmHi 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
May 6, 2014 at 11:02 amI would love to make this but I don’t eat mayo, what else can I use?
Dani
May 6, 2014 at 2:51 pmJust skip the mayo and use a little extra yogurt. Will be delish!
Maureen
August 29, 2014 at 12:24 amI left out the pasta and used this as filling in a whole wheat tortilla. Yum!
jennifer
September 8, 2014 at 12:07 amI 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
September 8, 2014 at 9:19 pmThanks for stopping by to let me know! I’m honored and so glad you enjoyed it:)
Mayumi Pecson
April 8, 2017 at 11:10 amHi Dani. We do not have a wine vinegar where i live. What can i use to substitute the red wine vinegar?
Dani
April 12, 2017 at 11:50 amYou can use apple cider vinegar:)
Sue
June 13, 2018 at 7:33 pmJust 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
June 13, 2018 at 9:18 pmSo glad you enjoyed it Sue. Thanks for letting me know!
MARY E STEWART
July 25, 2018 at 2:17 amHELLO 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
July 26, 2018 at 11:35 amSo glad you enjoyed it!