It’s officially H.O.T. outside, so I’m leaning into my cold pasta salads hard these days! This Classic Tuna Pasta Salad is cool, creamy, inexpensive, and hearty enough to count as lunch or dinner all by itself. With tender pasta, canned tuna, sweet peas, and a simple creamy dressing, it’s the perfect no-reheat meal when you’re sweating it out in this heat, and it’s also right at home at summer BBQs and potlucks. Bookmark it now because you’ll want to revisit it again and again this summer!
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“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.”
Emma
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.
Classic Tuna Pasta Salad
Cost $4.04 recipe / $0.67 serving
Ingredients
- ¾ cup mayonnaise ($0.60*)
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice ($0.12)
- ¼ tsp dried dill ($0.03)
- ¾ tsp salt ($0.05)
- ¼ tsp black pepper (freshly cracked, $0.02)
- ½ cup red onion (diced, $0.11)
- 1 cup frozen peas ($0.47)
- 12 oz. mini shell pasta ($0.72**)
- 2 5oz. cans chunk light tuna (drained, $1.92***)
Video
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 very well in a colander, then let them cool until they're no longer steaming. Cooling the pasta before adding the dressing helps keep the mayo dressing thick, creamy, and evenly coated instead of soaking in too quickly.
- 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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Notes
Nutrition Information
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: 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.
Try These Classic Full Meal Salads Next:
- This BLT Pasta Salad turns the classic sandwich into a creamy, bacon-y pasta salad with bowties, tomatoes, spinach, and a tangy ranch-mayo dressing.
- I love a Cobb Salad for dinner because it feels restaurant-worthy but still comes together in about 20 minutes if the chicken and bacon are ready to go!
- If you want a classic full-meal salad without much prep, our Traditional Chicken Salad is creamy, tangy, crunchy, and ready fast.
This was phenomenal! I noticed it was salty after making the dressing so I just added a tad more mayo and it turned out perfectly! This is a recipe I’m going to keep!
Made this with gluten free pasta, Tuno and Hellman’s Plant Based Mayo, and edamame (because I forgot I didn’t have any peas until the making of it). Worked perfectly even with those alterations.
Have made this just now I added plum tomatoes and sweetcorn did a mix of mayo and Greek yogurt it’s in the fridge cooling but tried a tablespoon while still warm it tasted yummy but I am sure it will taste even better cold. Great recipe thank you will make again.
Love this recipe. Used Albacore. Next time I think I’ll add more dill. Thank you!
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!