This Tuna Pasta Salad with shell noodles, peas, tuna, celery, and Greek yogurt is fast, healthy, and a dish your whole family can enjoy!
Tuna Pasta Salad
I don’t know about you, but for me, warm weather screams pasta salad! This tuna pasta salad is a classic! It easy, fast, and I usually have all the ingredients that I need to throw it together. My kids love this pasta salad and we eat it for lunch all the time, but it works great as a dinner or side dish.
I also love feeding my kids something that I know has great health benefits. Did you know tuna fish is a great source of protein and contains omega 3 fatty acids that can help fight heart disease? For the sauce in this recipe I use a mixture of mayonnaise and Greek yogurt. I love the creaminess that the Greek yogurt adds, and it’s packed with protein. You could also serve this dish with whole wheat pasta.
How to make Tuna Pasta Salad:
Cook your pasta according to package instructions, then drain them and allow them to cool a little. I like to use mini shell noodles, but any type of bite-size pasta can be used.
While the noodles cook, chop the celery and onion, drain the tuna, and warm the peas (you could also add the peas to the boiling pasta water during the last minute of cooking).
Mix the mayonnaise and Greek yogurt together until smooth.
Add the cooked pasta, tuna, celery, onion, and peas to a large mixing bowl. Pour the dressing on top and toss to coat.
If you’d like to make this recipe in advance I would suggest waiting to add the sauce until you’re ready to serve, otherwise the noodles will soak up the sauce and it wont have the creaminess that you want.
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Tuna Pasta Salad
Video
Ingredients
- 8 ounces small shells pasta , or your favorite bite-size pasta
- 7 ounces canned albacore white tuna, packed in water , drained
- 2 ribs celery , chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion , chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- dried dill weed , to taste, optional
- salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
Instructions
- Cook noodles according to package instructions, until al dente. Drain.
- In a large bowl add chopped onion and celery, peas, cooked pasta, and drained tuna.
- In a separate bowl, mix the mayo and Greek yogurt.
- Stir half of the sauce into the pasta mixture and toss to evenly coat. Season with salt and pepper and dried dil, to taste.
- Refrigerate pasta and remaining sauce separately, covered, for 30 min. Stir in remaining sauce and serve immediately.
Nutrition
I originally shared this recipe in June 2011. Updated May 2018.
Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
kristin Clark says
I am going to make this tonight but am tripling the recipe. I am also only using mayo, no greek yougart. I’m using chopped green onings instead of red onions and the rest I’m doing the same as the reipe. Do you think it will still turn out good?
Lauren Allen says
Yes, I think it will be delicious with those adaptions 🙂
Barbara says
A squeeze of lemon would be good in this salad. To cool the pasta quickly, spread the drained pasta onto a rimmed baking sheet and stick it in fridge, it’ll be cold in about 10-15 minutes.
Lauren Allen says
Thanks for your tips!
Nicole says
I just made the recipe and I love it! Thank you for sharing!
Lauren Allen says
Thanks Nicole! I’m so happy you liked it 🙂
Pam says
I just made this morning. Taking to a cook out this afternoon, I know it will be a hit! Saved half the sauce like you recommended and will stir that in before we leave for the cook out.
cindi says
I just finished making this salad and although i though it was good, I just felt it needed something elce. It needed acid so I squeezed 1/2 of a lemon into the mix and a few dashes of hot sauce and it took it to another level. Overall a good recipe!
Tiffany says
I couldn’t agree more. This is the perfect summer dish and we often serve it as dinner with some fresh fruit and/or veggies. The kids LOVE it and it’s super easy to make (plus there is hardly any clean up 🙂 ). Thank you for sharing a meal that is stress free and delicious!
Melissa says
Do you have all nutritional information for this recipe, specifically fat, carbs, and protein? Also, how big is the serving (1 cup, 1/2 cup)?
Lauren Allen says
Hi Melissa, scroll to the very BOTTOM of the recipe card and you’ll find it there.
Thelma says
Super delicious! A few small improvisations were made. First, I used medium sized shells because that’s what I had on hand. Second, I added about two tablespoons fresh dill and lots of cracked pepper and a good sprinkle of fine sea salt to season.
I had a few two many “tasters” before setting in fridge to let the ingredients come together.
Alba Acosta says
It was so tasty I’m planning to make it a favorite!
I made some slight changes, and the result was delish!
I used half a chicken bouillon, and a bit of sea salt to boil the shells. I also used a bit more tuna because I love tuna lol, and I let the onion sit for a little bit on half of a lemon juice. I put everything together in a big bowl, and then made the sauce, which by the way was amazing, never thought of mixing plain yogurt with mayonnaise. And lastly, I replaced the dill with cilantro because I’m a big fan of this herb, and I loved it!!
MaryAnn Coy says
We often go thirds with Mayo, Greek Yogurt, & Light Sour Cream. It gives a rich texture to the dressing, this same combo works for potato salad, coleslaw, & using leftover vetables with pasta to make a mystery pasta salad. I have had macaroni salad that used up a leftover Garden vegetable salad, pulsed in the food processor until chopped fine but not mushy. The tinybits of lettuce are great in Macaroni salad. The tuna salad goes with green bell peppers, shredded carrots, thinly sliced radishes, scallions, chives, the celery, & any type of onions or use shallots. I’ve added a handful of broccoslaw or coleslaw. Cooked shredded chicken or chopped leftover ham ( a neat idea is draining some crushed pineapple to go in with the ham. Add a bit of the juice to the dressing for flavor. Use any green herbs you like. Frozen peas & carrots work if the fresh vegetables are running low, Corn gives pretty color & a slightly sweet flavor. Red ripe bell peppers work well, so does shredded Red/Purple Cabbage! Tear or use baby Spinach. In there. The tuna can handle finely chopped Kale or mustard greens ( use caution as mustard is peppy.) If fresh watercress is available the pepper greens can sub for black or white pepper. Salmon makes a sub for tuna as well. I definitely second the idea of lemon juice, or lime juice if that is what you have. Paprika goes nicely, so does finely chopped parsley. The Pasta salad can be served over a bowl of greens. The dressing can be mixed & thinned with lemon juice or favorite vinegar to use as a salad dressing. Particularly nice on butter lettuces. MA from Boston,MA
Tamara says
You know this is a keeper when you kids are asking for it for dinner. We have made this several times now and I am just grateful for another no-hassle, easy weeknight dinner recipe. Yum!