Classic Tuna Pasta Salad

This tuna pasta salad recipe is creamy and satisfying! It’s a protein-packed quick and easy dinner or make ahead lunch.

There’s a magical meal fix out there, and we’re here for it. It’s a can of tuna. That sounds a little 1960’s, right? But there’s a reason why canned tuna was so popular in previous decades. It’s a cheap protein that’s super shelf stable. And you can transform it into seriously tasty meals: like this nostalgic Tuna Pasta Salad! It’s creamy but not too rich, with a splash of white wine vinegar and a sprinkle of dried dill. It’s a seriously simple pantry meal that gives us cozy nostalgic vibes…and it works as a make-ahead lunch too. Here’s more about it!

Ingredients in tuna pasta salad

This tuna pasta salad is a retro style recipe with a modern spin! We tried to take all that’s good about tuna pasta salad of the past, without the gloppy, overly rich mayonnaise. This recipe uses about half the mayo than the 1970’s version, so it’s just creamy enough. Here’s what you’ll need:

Tuna, packed in water
Pasta: short noodles of any type
Frozen peas
Mayonnaise
Red onion
Green onion (or substitute onion powder)
Mayonnaise
White wine vinegar
Dried dill
Feta cheese, optional

It’s so easy to make this recipe: literally just boil the pasta and mix together the pasta salad ingredients. It’s mind-blowingly simple and uses mostly pantry ingredients! The only refrigerated ingredient is the green onion, which is optional. A few notes on storage, though…

Make it even creamier, if desired

Love a super creamy tuna pasta salad? The amount of mayo we’ve used here is about 1/2 the amount of a traditional super creamy pasta salad. You can add one of two things to this pasta salad to get an even creamier texture:

Add 1/4 cup Greek yogurt. We love using Greek yogurt in combination with mayo to get extra creamy sauces with less calories (like our Ranch Dressing). Do this if you’re going to eat it right away. But if you’re planning on leftovers, don’t use the Greek yogurt! The texture gets gummy in the fridge (see below).
Add 1/4 cup sour cream. Sour cream has a nice rich texture that doesn’t get quite as gummy as Greek yogurt in the fridge. The downside? it’s got a few more calories. If you’re going for a splurge, it makes for a nice creamy texture.

Eat immediately, or use as a make ahead lunch

This tuna pasta salad is best immediately, in our opinion! We usually eat it for dinner with some sides (see below). If you’d like, you can make it ahead for lunches throughout the week! Here’s what to know:

Refresh the texture and flavor before serving. This pasta salad can become drier in the refrigerator. We suggest swirling in a little mayo or sour cream before eating, and refresh with a few pinches of salt if you like. The added sour cream option above is nice if you’re wanting creaminess to hold up over several days.
Allow it to come to room temperature before serving. This one is best at room temp; it’s not designed as a cold pasta salad.

Make tuna pasta salad into a meal!

This tuna pasta salad is the perfect pantry meal: with a few simple items, you’ve got dinner! It’s especially perfect for snow days or evenings where you just don’t have the energy to think. Here are a few ways you can accessorize it for lunch or dinner:

Raw veggies like carrots or bell peppers
Sauteed veggies like ultimate sauteed veggies
Frozen veggies like roasted frozen broccoli
Garlic bread like this easy garlic toast
Green salad like a throw-together tossed salad
Beans like easy white beans

More tuna recipes

Tuna to the rescue! Canned tuna is great for throw-together pantry meals. Here are a few more of our canned tuna faves:

Try the World’s Best Tuna Melt (at least, we think it is!)
Go for a Ultimate Tuna Salad Sandwich or Tuna Salad with Egg
Try fresh and healthy Avocado Tuna Salad

This tuna pasta salad recipe is…

Pescatarian. For gluten-free, use gluten free or legume pasta.