It’s officially H.O.T. outside, so I’m leaning into my cold pasta salads hard these days! This Tuna Pasta Salad is an easy classic that is cool, creamy, inexpensive, and it keeps me full. This one is seriously simple and it’s the perfect salad for summer BBQs, potlucks, to pack for lunches, or to have a quick cold meal when you’re sweating it out in this heat. So bookmark it now because you’ll want to revisit it, again and again, this summer!
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What’s In Tuna Pasta Salad
This classic recipe is really simple and most of the ingredients are fairly inexpensive. To make this tuna pasta salad you’ll need:
- Pasta – We used small shells, but you can use any small shape. Bowtie pasta is another great option.
- Tuna – Canned tuna is probably the most expensive ingredient in this pasta salad, but a little goes a long way! We used two 5oz. cans to span all six servings. If you want to reduce the price even further, drop down to one can and increase the amount of peas for more protein!
- Onion – A little onion adds depth of flavor and a lot of great crunch to this salad. We used red onion for color, but a sweet onion also works!
- Dressing – This tuna salad uses a super simple homemade dressing made with mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and dried dill. Simple but good!
what Kind of Tuna to Use
I prefer chunk light tuna for this pasta salad because it’s a good balance between affordable and having a good texture for the salad. Tuna labeled “solid” will have larger prettier pieces, but usually fetches a higher price. Albicore or white tuna will have a lighter color and a milder flavor. …but I kind of like the stronger taste of tuna for this salad!
Variations on Tuna Pasta Salad
Tuna pasta salad has been a classic for decades and everyone makes it a little different. If you want to branch out from the recipe below, here are some other ingredients you can try:
- Add diced cheddar for more richness
- Substitute half of the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt for a slightly lighter flavor
- Substitute the onion with shallots for a milder onion flavor
- Add diced celery for more crunch
- Add diced hard-boiled egg for more inexpensive protein
- Add a couple tablespoons of dill or sweet relish for more flavor
- Try canned salmon in place of the tuna
- Add fresh herbs (dill, parsley, tarragon, green onion)
Can You Make Tuna Pasta Salad Ahead?
You can make tuna pasta salad ahead of time, which can be helpful for potlucks and BBQs, but it’s definitely best when eaten on the same day it’s prepared. I would advise against making it more than one day ahead because it will begin to dry out the longer it stays in the refrigerator. Luckily, this pasta salad is a snap to make, so it’s easy to whip up on the day of!
Tuna Pasta Salad with Peas
Servings 6 about 1 cup eachIngredients
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise ($0.92)
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice ($0.12)
- 1/4 tsp dried dill ($0.03)
- ¾ tsp salt ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
- 1/2 cup diced red onion ($0.11)
- 1 cup frozen peas ($0.47)
- 12 oz. mini shell pasta ($1.13)
- 2 5oz. cans chunk light tuna, drained ($1.98)
Instructions
- Make the dressing first. Combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, dill, salt, and pepper in a bowl, then set the dressing aside.
- Finely dice the red onion and measure out the frozen peas.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the pasta and continue to boil until it's almost fully tender (about 5-6 minutes), then add the frozen peas. Continue to cook the pasta and peas together for the last minute or two, or until the pasta is fully tender. Drain the pasta and peas well in a colander, allowing them to cool.
- Once the pasta and peas are well drained and mostly cooled, transfer them to a large bowl. Add the diced red onion, drained tuna, and prepared dressing. Fold the ingredients together until everything is evenly combined and coated in dressing. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat.
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Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Tuna Pasta Salad – Step By Step Photos
Make the dressing first. Combine ¾ cup mayonnaise, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, ¾ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, and ¼ tsp dried dill. Stir everything together, then set the dressing aside.
Finely dice about ½ cup of red onion. Measure 1 cup of frozen peas.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add 12 oz. small shell pasta (or any other small shape) and boil just until tender. When the pasta is almost cooked through, add the frozen peas and let them cook with the pasta for the last two minutes. Drain the pasta and peas well in a colander, allowing them to cool.
When the pasta and peas have drained well and cooled down (slightly warm is okay), add them to a large bowl with two drained 5oz. cans of tuna, the diced red onion, and the prepared dressing.
Gently fold the ingredients together until everything is evenly mixed and coated in dressing.
Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat!
loved this recipe! I used canned peas and canned salmon instead of tuna, and it turned out great. I think the dressing is the perfect ratio for a pasta and canned fish salad. idk if the canned vs frozen peas make a huge difference, but with that sub, everything except the mayo is shelf stable in the pantry which is ideal. thanks for sharing!
This was OUTRAGEOUSLY good. I have been generally unimpressed with tuna-noodle dishes but this one was hard to stop eating. I skipped the dill and it was still awesome.
Perfect pasta salad! I excluded peas (preference) and it’s amazing! It’s tangy and savory and I’m sure will get even better as it sits!
The first time I made this me and my boyfriend fell in love. It’s so good and we make it once a week now. I also add a little bit of crushed pepper.
Made this twice now with salmon instead of tuna, and celery instead of peas, to appease a picky kid. It’s great!
Howwww does she do it??? It’s so simple, but it’s just sublime! I made it as-is, except for subbing ~half the mayo with Greek yogurt. I thought for sure I’d want to add something else, but it just wasn’t needed. This is immediately going into the meal prep rotation!
Wow. This is really good. I wasn’t expecting TOO much with the few and simple ingredients. But, they work great together. I only had half the peas but felt they were enough in a pinch. I’ll be making this again. Thanks for the recipe.
A winner. Was worried about the onions, but they added so much flavor.
I’m not a tuna fan, so we made this with canned chicken— tasty! Knowing it needed to last a couple days, I saved a little bit of the pasta water in a Tupperware and added a splash before a second day’s serving. Totally worked to refresh it, and the herby dressing was even more delicious the second time around! (I also used celery salt instead of regular salt in the dressing for an extra hit of flavor.)
Just made this & ended up eating a full serving while standing at the kitchen counter – so good & so easy!!!! Basically all pantry staples, we love to see it
This is amazing! I subbed half of the pasta with chickpeas for added fiber. And also added some celery, red pepper and more red onion. I also subbed half of the Mayo with Greek yogurt. The lemon and dill dressing is what makes it. Thank you!
Hi, is there something I can substitute all of the mayo with? Unfortunately I can’t have mayo so am trying find alternatives for these yummy looking recipes :) thanks!
Hi Emily, try greek yogurt!
As someone who regularly does half mayo and half yogurt to cut down on the calories, you definitely want some of that creaminess that mayo imparts. Maybe vegan mayo, or tahini, or even avocado could work (note that I’ve not tried any of these myself).
I have an egg intolerance, but Hellman’s/Best does a decent vegan mayo. It won’t taste exactly like the real thing but mixed with seasonings and such it does the trick in our household.
Approximately how many days would this last in the fridge. I’d like to make some for work lunches but I live alone so need to adjust the recipe accordingly.
The lifespan of food in the fridge can vary quite a bit depending on the conditions within your refrigerator, so I can’t say for 100% certainty, but I generally limit cooked foods to about four days just to be safe. For this salad in particular, also keep in mind that the pasta will continue to absorb moisture from the dressing as it is in the refrigerator, so it will get drier as the days go on.
I’ve been making this exact casserole for decades. My son loves it. In the summers here in Florida it’s a nice cool meal when he gets off work. I have to make a huge batch when I make so he has a couple meals of it. He’s a bachelor but likes to get care packages from mom, especially food.
I liked the recipe,but I told my daughter I had added celery because I needed some crunch. She mentioned that apples would also be good, so the next time I made it, I also added the apples but had to take it a step further and added Craisins. Of course after adding celery, apples and Craisins I had to double the mayo and the lemon juice but I love it with all my additions. Great thing about cooking, it’s not an exact science.
Our family uses green onions, celery, solid white albacore in water (drained) and lemon juice for brightness, too. As well as powdered Ranch-flavored seasoning.
Great additions! Did you know that we have a recipe to make your own ranch seasoning?
Dinner plans fell through at the last minute, and I desperately needed a pantry meal. Gave this a try and LOVED it. We ate it basically at room temperature and have refrigerated the rest for proper pasta salad tomorrow. Absolutely delicious and just the thing for these kind of emergencies!
By the way, I used that new chickpea pasta for this and was completely unable to tell the difference between that and regular pasta. For those who love pasta but are watching their carbs!
This is the best simple version ever! The proportions of mayo and lemon in the recipe as stated are spot on! I’ve made variations on this a many times over the years and this one turned out so good I had to comment. There are a lot of tuna pasta recipes out there. I used only half the peas called for, and added some sliced celery for crunch. I used green onion and added a small handful of fresh chopped dill. It’s not as “budget” with fresh dill, but I had it on hand. Fresh parsley would be yummy, too. Really tasted gourmet. It would be great without the extras, for sure. Love you, Budget Byte$! =)
Wait..i pinned this a few years ago. LOVED this recipe! Made it all the time. But it originally had thyme in the recipe. Its no longer listed in the ingredients? Please let me know how much to add from the original post!
What happened to the thyme that used to be listed in this recipe?
It was so good. Im trying to make it but cant remember how much
I haven’t changed this recipe. I think you might be referring to a different recipe that is no longer on the website, called Tuna Noodle Casserole with Olives & Spinach. That one did have thyme in it. If you’d like that recipe, just email us at [email protected] and we can send you a pdf copy. :)
My family has problems with raw onions, but love this salad with dried dill weed for an extra flavor. If I have sour cream I substitute an equal quantity for half of the mayonnaise.
I loved this! I made it with Banza chickpea rotini. Can’t even tell it’s not regular pasta.
Do I drain the tunable water or not?
Thanks.
Yes drain the tuna water from the can.
Shredded Parmesan cheese or other Italian cheese blend goes well over it when it is served. Adds a certain saltiness. That’s yummy!
I wonder how making this with frozen pearl onions would do?
I’ve always put ketchup and mustard in my tuna macaroni. Sounds weird but it lends a sweet and delicious flavor!
It can be zazzed up nicely with a handful of chopped up olives (with pimento inserts).
It’s super hot in Australia right now and this was the perfect easy dinner to put together without slaving away over the stove, and it’s also so nice to have a nice cool meal on a night like this. Simple ingredients, easy to make, will be good for lunch at work later in the week.
spice this up with flavour, add some cayenne! yum!
+ a handful of baked (cherry) tomato + chopped sweet onion, raw chopped garlic and edamame (for more protein)
I followed this recipe exactly except I used macaroni noodles instead of bow-tie! I loved how simple this recipe was and how delicious it tasted. It definitely satisfied my prego craving for tuna pasta salad. ;)
I LOVE peas in my tuna pasta. I like the petitie peas and I also usually add 1/2 lb bacon to it too. Its pretty sinful and sounds wrong but who cares when it tastes so good!
I’ve made and eaten countless Tuna Macs with mostly the same ingredients. It was a staple in the little Vermont town where I grew up. When I saw this recipe here (on my favorite food blog) I thought, I’ll try it! I always add too much mayo, so I thought Beth’s proportions would be helpful. But it ended up WAY better than the Tuna Mac I’m used to because of the lemon! And there’s way more peas in this recipe than I’m used to and I LOVE it. Thanks! !
Agree with the positive reviews on this. It creates a great pasta salad base that you can play with. I added peas and broccoli to the pasta during the last minute of boiling to expedite the the thawing process. Also added red peppers to the mayo lemon sauce.
This is shocking I know, but I made this *exactly as instructed here* and it was delicious. No additions, no substitutions — doesn’t need it for me! This is great.
Just discovered your site here and love it!
I made this just now and it’d yummy! Added a bit of chopped cilantro before serving..
Love your blog!
yummy! I will make this and I’m so thrilled I found this website!! I’m on a tight budget yet I’m health conscious, so thank you! :)
I made a version of this when I was in college. Great minds! It is easy, fast and delicious. I like adding shredded cheddar and crushed ritz crackers.
Made this for dinner and munching on it right now! Great recipe, I love the freshness the lemon gives the dish. Definitely a keeper!
Yummo! I added radish, dill, celery, and red bell pepper. Think I might do cheddar and bacon next time. Thank you so much I love your recipes!!!
Maybe try a vegan mayonnaise, they don’t contain any eggs.
What to sub for mayo? I allergic
Just made this, added a little dill, and wowee it was GREAT! Can’t wait to dive into the leftovers.
I made this, only I doubled the tuna portion (I love tuna). It is DEEEELICIOUS…Thanks.
Hello, delicious lunch on day 5#
Threw it together the night before and packed it for mine and the hubby’s lunch today. He sent me a text to ask if there was any leftover, which i take as a thumbs up ;-)
I took your advice and waited to add the tuna till the end, it stayed in nice defined chunks. I also couldn’t get over how non-vegetal this tasted but it had a ton of peas in it, which was very nice, since I wanted the tuna to be the star, but packing veggies in is important. Only change was the grocery stores fault, I had to get tuna in oil, but frankly, i am not complaining, i am oldschool and like it that way lol.
Chicken chili verde for dinner and i can’t wait!
This is a great salad- made it today and added celery and cilantro – amazing! Added a bit of a extra crunch and spice to it. I had forgotten to put the mayo in it , and still liked it but even better with mayo! Thank you!
I grew up on tuna pasta salad (broke divorcee father LOVED making it).. we used cream of mushroom soup instead of mayo. Not sure which is more nutritionally sound, but either works just as well. I also though instead of the mayo, a balsamic vinaigrette (creole mustard, olive oil, and balsamic) would be great… much healthier than mayo (less additives as well) without losing the creaminess.
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Thanks for sharing with us this awesome recipe. Not only did I get to save money, but it is also very delicious which my kids really loved! It went really well with an iced cold coffee shake I made using one of my espresso makers at home. Kudos to you!
Yum! I fiddled with the proportions a bit, and used a mix of pasta I had lying around (regular curly egg noodle, penne, and rotini). And added some diced apple (fuji and gala). I tend to like eggs in my tuna salad, but I don’t think this recipe needs any. The sweet peas work wonderfully. Sadly I didn’t have any onion to throw in, and I do miss them, but they have plenty of kick without. Thanks so much!
Wow, Aaron, that is a whole new salad and it sounds awesome! Thanks for the suggestions!
I tried this for the first time since I had an abundance of tuna and it was better than I thought it was going to be. I used a pea/carrot mix, added fresh cilantro and some chopped up capers since it pairs so well with tuna. I also added a little bit of chili oil to the mayo to spice it up and did a half mayo/yogurt mix to make it a bit healthier. I will definitely be making this again.
I like this recipe, but I normally like to make an alfredo sauce instead of the mayo.
I love this receipe but I always add chedder cheese and maybe a little ranch dressing.
After reading this post I realized how long it had been since I last had tuna noodle salad, and decided to make it. I added green peppers, and substituted lime juice for the lemon juice- it added an amazing kick. Thanks for sharing!
This is my favorite way to make a pasta/tuna salad. The red onions are key. Sometimes I add fresh tarragon or dill, and sometimes sub out the lemon juice with a bit of balsamic.
This look soo good! I can’t wait to make it!
This pasta salad looks perfect!! I’m bookmarking this recipe. Great photos!