​Beat the heat with this cool and creamy Tuna Pasta Salad

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Creamy Tuna Pasta Salad Recipe

Beat the heat with this cool and creamy tuna pasta salad.

I make it with tender mini pasta shells, protein-packed tuna, sweet peas, and a tangy homemade dressing for a classic favorite that’s both satisfying and easy to prepare. The mini shells are my favorite here because they catch the creamy dressing and little flakes of tuna in every forkful, and letting the pasta cool before mixing helps keep the salad smooth, fresh, and creamy. Perfect for summer picnics, potlucks, meal prep, or a quick lunch, this dish is sure to become a staple in your warm-weather meal rotation.

Recipe Success Tips

• Let the pasta cool before adding the dressing. Hot pasta will absorb and loosen the creamy mayo dressing too quickly, which can make the salad seem dry once it chills. Let the pasta and peas drain well and cool until they’re no longer steaming before mixing everything together. Slightly warm is fine, but hot pasta won’t give you the same cool and creamy finish.
• Use chunk light tuna for the best budget-friendly texture. 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!
• Mini pasta shells are the best shape for this salad. Small shells scoop up the dressing, peas, and little flakes of tuna, so every forkful tastes creamy and balanced. They’re also easy to scoop up with a spoon! Other small pasta shapes like macaroni, ditalini, or bowties will work. I’d personally avoid long noodles or very large shapes because they don’t mix as evenly with the tuna and peas.
• Drain everything well. Extra water from the pasta, peas, or tuna can thin the dressing and make the salad taste less creamy. Let the pasta and peas sit in the colander for a few minutes, and press or drain the tuna well before adding it to the bowl.
• Taste again after chilling. Cold pasta salads can taste a little more muted once they’ve been refrigerated. If the salad tastes flat before serving, add a pinch of salt, a little extra lemon juice, or another spoonful of mayo to wake it back up.

How to Make Tuna Pasta Salad Step-By-Step Photos

Make the dressing: Combine ¾ cup mayonnaise, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, ¾ tsp salt, ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, and ¼ tsp dried dill in a bowl. Stir until creamy and flecked with dill, then set the dressing aside while you prepare the rest of the salad.

Prep the mix-ins: Finely dice about ½ cup red onion and measure 1 cup frozen peas. Keeping the onion pieces small helps them mix evenly through the salad without overpowering the whole dish.

Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add 12 oz. mini shell pasta and boil just until tender.

When the pasta is almost cooked through, add the 1 cup frozen peas and let them cook with the pasta for the last 2 minutes, just until the peas are bright green. Drain the pasta and peas well in a colander, then let them cool until they’re no longer steaming.

Cooling the pasta before adding the dressing helps keep the salad creamy instead of allowing the hot pasta soak up the mayo too quickly. Add the tuna: When the pasta and peas have drained well and cooled down (slightly warm is okay), add them to a large bowl with two drained 5 oz. cans of chunk light tuna, the diced red onion, and the prepared dressing.

Make sure the tuna is well drained so the dressing stays thick and creamy. Gently fold the ingredients together until everything is evenly mixed and coated in dressing. Mix and serve: Gently fold everything together until the shells, peas, tuna, and onion are evenly coated in the creamy dressing.

Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat. This easy tuna pasta salad is one of my favorite tuna recipes by FAR.

Variations

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 above, here are some other ingredients you can try:

• Add fresh herbs (dill, parsley, tarragon, green onion)
• 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

serving suggestions This tuna pasta salad works just as well as a full meal as it does a side dish. The pasta, tuna, peas, and creamy dressing make it filling enough for easy lunches, no-reheat dinners, and meal prep, especially on hot days when you don’t want to cook.

The recipe makes 6 servings, about 1 cup each, which I’d count as 6 light meal portions or 6 hearty side portions. For bigger appetites, plan on closer to 4 larger meal-size servings, or add a simple side.

It’s perfect for a summery dinner with hamburgers, sandwiches, grilled chicken, fresh fruit, or crackers! You can also easily halve the recipe for a smaller batch or double it for a crowd!

I always make this tuna pasta for summer BBQs, picnics, potlucks, or casual cookouts.

Storage Instructions

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. The pasta will continue to absorb the dressing as it chills, so it’s definitely at its creamiest the day it’s made!

Give it a good stir before serving and add a small spoonful of mayo, a squeeze of lemon juice, or a pinch of salt and pepper to freshen it back up if needed. I don’t recommend freezing tuna pasta salad. Mayo-based dressings can separate and turn watery after thawing, and the pasta tends to soften, so the salad won’t have the same creamy texture.