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Home » Recipes » Lunch » Salad + Dressing » Tuna Pasta Salad

Tuna Pasta Salad

Published: Jun 13, 2020 · Last Modified: June 13, 2020 by Dani

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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!

easy tuna pasta
Print Recipe
4.32 from 95 votes

Tuna Pasta Salad Recipe

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.
Course: LUNCH, salad + dressing
Cuisine: American, kids
Author: Dani Spies
Prep Time15 mins
Total Time15 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 355kcal

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!

Notes

*This tuna pasta salad will last up to 5 days when stored in the fridge.
**To keep this recipe dairy-free, skip the yogurt and use all mayonnaise. 
***To lower the fat and increase the protein, skip the mayonnaise, and use all yogurt.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 355kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 114mg | Potassium: 364mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 274IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 2mg

Kid Friendly Lunches, Recipes, Salad + Dressing, Video Celery, clean eating, Greek Yogurt, green peas, Kids, Onions, Salad, Tuna, Tuna Salad, Whole Wheat Pasta

About Dani

Dani Spies is the founder and host of Clean & Delicious; a weekly cooking show on YouTube and a healthy eating blog that celebrates real, whole foods! She takes a holistic approach to health and wellness and is loved for her approachable, down to earth style both in and out of the kitchen.

Learn MoreWork With Me

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Niki says

    April 4, 2012 at 6:36 am

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
    • Ann says

      February 17, 2017 at 5:26 am

      5 stars
      I have made similar recipes with the canned chicken. My son does not eat tuna.

      Reply
  2. Janet says

    April 4, 2012 at 8:23 am

    5 stars
    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

    Reply
    • Dani says

      April 4, 2012 at 10:55 am

      5 stars
      I totally forgot to post it (YIKES!) – it’s up there now!!

      Reply
  3. Louise says

    April 4, 2012 at 8:52 am

    5 stars
    What a great idea. I’ll pick up the ingredients today for my lunch tomorrow. Really good idea Dani.

    Reply
    • Dani says

      April 4, 2012 at 10:54 am

      5 stars
      Enjoy!

      Reply
  4. vicki says

    April 4, 2012 at 9:40 am

    5 stars
    Agree – looking for a recipe to print so I can get the nutritional information.

    Reply
    • Dani says

      April 4, 2012 at 10:54 am

      5 stars
      Ooops!!! Just posted it… sorry about that!

      Reply
  5. Robert Richards Recipes says

    April 5, 2012 at 9:47 am

    5 stars
    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. 😀

    Reply
  6. Ognena says

    April 5, 2012 at 2:41 pm

    5 stars
    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

    Reply
  7. Louise says

    April 6, 2012 at 8:00 am

    5 stars
    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

    Reply
  8. Kate says

    April 7, 2012 at 3:50 pm

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
  9. Emily says

    April 9, 2012 at 6:35 pm

    5 stars
    I love to use Greek Yogurt whenever possible. Great nutritional value and adds such creaminess. Thanks for posting this, Dani!

    Reply
  10. Frances says

    April 12, 2012 at 4:18 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Dani, thanks for all the amazing recipes. Just wondering if this recipe is okay to freeze/defrost?
    Cheers 🙂

    Reply
  11. Mike W says

    April 30, 2012 at 2:47 pm

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
  12. Lauren says

    May 2, 2012 at 2:31 pm

    5 stars
    Loving your recipes! Made the brown rice and spinach fritatta yesterday and had for lunch… Going to try this one tonight! Can’t wait 🙂

    Reply
  13. JoyinChaos says

    May 24, 2012 at 4:10 pm

    5 stars
    This looks great. I’m making it tonight. What size cans of tuna did you use?

    Reply
  14. Alissa says

    June 5, 2012 at 10:51 am

    5 stars
    Made this yesterday for dinner and have it in the fridge for lunch today. Your recipes are always a hit…really!

    Reply
  15. Joelle says

    August 2, 2012 at 3:02 pm

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
  16. Lau says

    May 14, 2013 at 3:53 am

    5 stars
    Hi Dani…
    How long does this yummy tuna pasta keep ??

    Reply
    • Dani says

      May 14, 2013 at 6:39 am

      5 stars
      About 3 days in the fridge:)

      Reply
  17. Brittany says

    May 29, 2013 at 5:42 pm

    5 stars
    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!! 🙂

    Reply
  18. Susan says

    June 11, 2013 at 6:21 pm

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
  19. Firah Esham says

    July 16, 2013 at 7:53 am

    5 stars
    Hi Dani, is there any alternatives instead of using the red wine vinegar?

    Reply
  20. LaKendra says

    July 22, 2013 at 11:43 am

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
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