My creamy tuna salad with pasta is a relatively healthy main course or side dish that is perfect for any occasion! Bow tie noodles, tuna, red onion, and Greek yogurt are all featured in this incredibly easy dish!
Tuna salad with pasta is full of hearty tuna, dotted with crunchy veggies, and coated in the creamiest dressing!
Perfectly cooked bowtie pasta is blended with protein-rich tuna, fresh veggies, and a light dressing made from mayo and Greek yogurt. This tuna pasta salad also makes for a fantastic light dinner during the warmer months!
Pasta salads are one of my favorites to make because they work for almost any occasion! Whether you’re making this delicious pasta for your kiddos’ lunch or bringing it to a family cookout, this dish can make anyone happy!
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This incredible tuna salad with pasta is so ridiculously easy. All your prep can be done while the pasta boils!
Then, you cool the noodles, mix them with the other ingredients, and pop it in the fridge to let all the flavors meld. It’s a dish that’s ready in practically no time at all!
❤️ Why I Love This Recipe
So Tasty! The red onion, celery, and dill weed add so much flavor to this tuna salad recipe!
A Hearty Meal! Bowtie pasta and tuna turn this salad into a filling dish that can be eaten on its own!
Make it Ahead of Time! You can save time by making this dish a day ahead of when you want to serve it! Keep the cooked pasta and sauce separate and you can whip up this tuna salad with pasta in minutes!
🥘 Ingredients
My creamy tuna salad with pasta uses plain Greek yogurt for the dressing! I highly recommend using a Greek yogurt like Fage or Chobani instead of using regular plain yogurt. The consistency and flavor are so much better!
- 8 ounces Bowtie Pasta – Also known as farfalle pasta! You can easily substitute your favorite bite-size pasta for this recipe.
- 12 ounces Tuna – Use canned light or albacore tuna for this recipe. Make sure the tuna is thoroughly drained before using it in the recipe.
- 1 cup Celery – This is about 2 to 3 ribs of celery, chopped. I like to cut my celery into smaller pieces, but feel free to cut it into your preferred size.
- 1 cup Peas – I use thawed frozen petite peas for this recipe! I recommend using frozen peas over canned, as they have a better texture.
- ½ cup Mayonnaise – Use a good-quality mayo like Duke’s or Helmann’s/Best Foods here.
- ½ cup Greek Yogurt – Use plain, unsweetened yogurt for this dressing!
- ¼ cup Red Onion – This is equal to ¼ or ½ a red onion, depending on the size of your onion. Finely chop or dice the onion for this salad.
- ¼ teaspoon each, Salt & Pepper – Season according to your preference!
- Dill Weed – I recommend fresh, chopped dill but you can also use dried. Add the dill weed according to your taste!
*Be sure to see the recipe card below for ingredients, amounts & instructions!*
📖 Variations
I love this delicious tuna salad with pasta just as it is, but you can add extra veggies to bulk it up or swap out veggies to suit your taste preferences!
Cucumber – Chopped cucumber adds a crunchy freshness that I love in salads with pasta! I recommend using English cucumbers as they have thinner skin and fewer seeds, so they’re easier to eat!
Red Bell Peppers – Diced red or yellow bell peppers add a colorful crunch to any salad recipe!
Cherry Tomatoes – Juicy, ripe cherry tomatoes add a tangy burst of flavor in every bite! I recommend halving or quartering the tomatoes, depending on the size.
Olives – Olives always pair wonderfully with tuna! Chop up pitted black or kalamata olives for a delightfully savory twist.
Relish or Pickled Peppers – Growing up, my mom would always add relish or chopped, pickled banana peppers to her tuna! Either of these options would taste wonderfully in this pasta salad.
🔪 Instructions
You don’t need any special equipment to make this easy tuna salad with pasta! It’s just such a simple and unfussy recipe!
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- Boil pasta. Begin the recipe by boiling 8 ounces of bowtie (farfalle pasta) noodles according to the box instructions. You want to be sure to salt the water, then cook until the pasta is al dente (firm to the bite). When the noodles are done, drain and rinse under cold water until they’re cool to the touch.
- Combine salad ingredients. Next, in a large mixing bowl, mix the cooled bowtie noodles with the remaining ingredients: 12 ounces of canned, drained tuna, 1 cup of chopped celery, 1 cup of frozen, thawed peas, ½ cup of mayo, ½ cup of Greek yogurt, ¼ cup of finely chopped red onion, ¼ teaspoon each of salt & pepper, and dill weed to taste. Then, thoroughly mix all the ingredients until well combined.
- Chill and serve. After combining all the tuna pasta salad ingredients, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to ‘marry” before serving. Make sure to return the pasta salad to the refrigerator after serving.
Creamy, easy-to-make tuna salad with pasta makes for such a hearty lunch or light dinner! I love to garnish this salad with extra fresh, chopped dill weed and serve on its own or over fresh greens. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Notes
- If making in advance, keep the sauce and pasta separate! The pasta will easily soak up the sauce and become mushy, so I recommend not combining until the day you’re serving it.
- Use canned tuna either packed in water or oil! If your grocery store carries it, I recommend getting Italian tuna packed in oil. It has extra flavor and less of that fishy aroma. Be sure to still drain it before using!
- Whole fat Greek yogurt makes for a creamier sauce! I recommend using 5% fat Greek yogurt for the creamiest texture and best flavor. You can also use 2% or fat-free Greek yogurt if preferred!
🥡 Storing
Leftover pasta salad with tuna should be refrigerated in an airtight container immediately to prevent any spoiling. The salad is best within the first 24 to 48 hours but can be kept for up to 3 days. After that, the pasta will be too mushy!
This creamy tuna salad with pasta can be frozen, but I don’t recommend it! The texture of the sauce and pasta will be affected by the freezing and thawing process.
🥗 More Flavorful Easy Recipes!
- Baked Chicken Thighs
- Doritos Taco Salad
- Chicken and Peppers
- Bisquick Chicken and Dumplings
- Crockpot Cube Steak
❓ Recipe FAQs
Love this recipe, but not a fan of tuna? You can easily make this recipe without it (though I highly recommend trying it with tuna first). Either add more of the veggies listed on the recipe or substitute extra veggies (see Variations). You can also add an equal amount of shredded chicken or even cooked shrimp
I love adding Greek yogurt to the dressing for this recipe because it makes the dressing lusciously rich and creamy. It’s also much lower in fat and higher in protein than mayonnaise. Cutting mayo with Greek yogurt makes this tuna salad with pasta a little healthier and more nourishing!
Absolutely! This recipe yields 6 servings, and you can easily double or even triple the recipe if you’re making it for a crowd or bringing it to a potluck!
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📖 Recipe Card
Tuna Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 8 oz bowtie pasta (uncooked, or your favorite pasta)
- 12 oz tuna (canned, light or albacore tuna packed in water, drained)
- 1 cup celery (chopped, 2-3 ribs)
- 1 cup peas (frozen, thawed)
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup Greek yogurt (plain)
- ¼ cup red onion (chopped, about ½ a large red onion)
- ¼ teaspoon each, salt & pepper
- dill weed (fresh or dried, to taste)
Instructions
- Boil the bowtie (farfalle pasta) noodles according to the instructions on the box until al dente (firm to the bite). When done, drain the cooked noodles and rinse them under cold water until they're cool to the touch.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta with all ingredients (tuna, celery, onion, peas, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, dill weed, salt, and pepper).
- Mix until combined and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to 'marry' before serving.
Notes
- If making in advance, keep the sauce and pasta separate! The pasta will easily soak up the sauce and become mushy, so I recommend not combining until the day you’re serving it.
- Use canned tuna either packed in water or oil! If your grocery store carries it, I recommend getting Italian tuna packed in oil. It has extra flavor and less of that fishy aroma. Be sure to still drain it before using!
- Whole fat Greek yogurt makes for a creamier sauce! I recommend using 5% fat Greek yogurt for the creamiest texture and best flavor. You can also use 2% or fat-free Greek yogurt if preferred!
- Keep leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days, but your tuna pasta salad is best eaten within the first 1-2 days.
Kathy says
Yum Great for Lenten Fridays!
Carol O'Clare says
Sounds good. Bet it would also be good with canned Salmon.