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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Recipe
Tuna Pasta Salad
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
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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.
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My adult daughter was working late last night, so I messaged her about the tuna/pasta salad in the fridge ! Only that instead of mayo&yogourt, I added cold pressed olive oil! I didn’t have frozen peas, I put canned peas and washed under 🚿!!!
This morning she said « thank you, Mom, for the tuna/pasta salad. It was so good! » She’s picky sometimes, but she liked it! Thank you!
Hi, very yummy… I added an extra can of tuna, a little bit of white wine vinegar, fresh dill herb and a chopped dill pickle. Thanks for this recipe… I made it many times.
Morty just loved this dish! I didn’t have yogurt or frozen peas. I did add hard boiled eggs and shredded carrots. I seasoned with Old Bay. I always add Old Bay when making anything with tuna, like tuna salad or tuna noodle casserole, tuna steaks.
This is a very tasty tuna salad, now I can alter my own tunasalad recipe
How long can this last in the fridge
I used fresh dill, lots of salt and pepper, and left out the peas. I rinsed the pasta in cold water, and then just dumped everything in a bowl and mixed.
Could I substitute sour cream for the yogurt?
Loved your recipe! Made it a second time but this time I cut up a bunch of red grapes and added fresh baby dill! It was a hit at our family bbq cook out! Refreshing summer time food!
I’m really upset, I made this recipe with fresh ingredients and stored it away in the fridge. Drove to the party (car blasted with A.C) and somehow it went bad by the time I got to my destination. I don’t know what happened.
The recipe is really straight forward.
I didn’t have any celery so I used cucumber instead. Also I added so tinned sweetcorn and a few grinds of salt chilli flakes and garlic.
It’s so quick to make and tasty. :-))
I skipped the Greek yogurt and just used more mayo – it would be bland, otherwise. I also added some honey Dijon mustard and parmesan. Delish!
I added some grainy mustard and capers to this one instead of dill. It’s nice and light, tastes fresh. I know a few have said it’s bland, but it’s just a mixture of mild flavors which is very nice in the summer time 😊
The tuna pasta salad is a traditional dish usually enjoy at large dinners or lunches with friends and family mostly during spring and summer. The way it is written and explained here by Lauren is very helpful. The recipe as described here is easy to prepare and yet once the dish is on the table you can be sure of receiving “wows” of appreciation. Step-by-step preparation is quick and the ingredients chosen are flavors universally known, liked, and well-accepted by almost everyone with no distinction of age. This is an all times favorite and one of these dishes people are always happy to see on the table on any occasion.
This salad is good but too bland. Maybe some Dijon mustard or dill relish mixed in. Needs some pep.
I was skeptical that something so simple could have such great ratings but this recipe hits the spot. I did half with leftover roasted chicken because my husband doesn’t eat fish. He liked it but tuna is the way to go. I added pickles and a splash of pickle juice, was pretty generous with the dill, and used seasoning salt instead of regular salt. I will make this again all year long.
Very nice and very easy.
I really liked this simple recipe. I used fresh Albacore from a local fishing boat. Canned it and used organic pasta-fresh dill weed
This recipe is just awesome and a staple in my house! I started to make another batch today and discovered am out of peas! Frozen or otherwise! So I added little sweet bell peppers had in frig, chopped up the size of peas instead it is so good and a nice blend with other ingredients and very colorful too! Thank you for sharing this 5 star recipe with the world!
Hi.
I’ve made this recipe, only substitute was swapped peas with sweetcorn.
It turned out great.
Thank you for your recipe.
I’ll definetly make this again.
This is a wonderful, quick and simple recipe for a lunch, picnic or party. I made it gluten free, using rice based shells and it was incredible. Pretty much everyone’s favorite.
Yummy. I didn’t have any plain greek yogurt so I subbed tzaziki made with yogurt. The dill in it added a lovely flavor. Thanks!
Delicious! I used 1/2 cup miracle whip and 1/2 cup mayo instead of the Greek yogurt, and also a squirt of dill relish. Yum!
This recipe is delicious! I absolutely loved it! I definitely will be making this again
Your Tuna Pasta Salad is absolutely delicious every time and a go-to for me! This salad is like a “party in your mouth”! Thank you for sharing it! I even add hard boiled eggs sometimes and a little Mayo too! A definite 5STAR recipe! I have made it with elbows and little farfalle. Both pastas go well with the recipe ingredients. And sometimes I use old Bay seasoning to add a little spice to the mix! Never fails!
Samphire boiled for two minutes chopped finely adds to the flavour and health benefits.
Wonderful! We tripled recipe with a few tweaks: cut back on celery just a little and added chopped dill pickles along with a dash of lemon juice and yellow mustard. Some commenters wonder about the frozen peas – no need to thaw them just throw them right in as long as they’re not clumped together!
I loved this salad however it seemed a little heavy and solid. Do you have anyway that I could solve this problem?
Add a splash of milk if you’d like!
Made this for a family cookout, doubled the recipe. I swapped canned for frozen peas, miracle whip for mayo, and kraft classic ranch dressing for the yogurt. I also added 8 ounces of small cubed marble jack cheese. Don’t really use dill, so just omitted it. It was actually much better the next day after the flavors had time to meld. It was such a big hit I’m making it for a wide dish for my daughters graduation party tomorrow!
Sounds good and will try with ranch, but you did a completely different recipe. So this rating doesn’t count.
Our go-to tuna salad recipe! Works great with brown rice quinoa GF spiral noodles from Trader Joe’s.
Love that yogurt lightens up abit! We often have this with sliced tomatoes for dinner.
The original recipe sorely lacked flavor. Where are all the seasonings? I had to add garlic powder, paprika, more dill, more black pepper, and pickle juice.
So I guess I’m the only one who actually made your recipe. Didn’t change a thing. Loved it.
It was great! Very light! Your not alone!😋
I changed a lot of items because I only had what I had! Why change the recipe then comment on it?!
Very good. I use a higher yogurt ratio. I use regular homemade yogurt. I like your instructions to add more dressing later. I find when you use yogurt, you can even add more the next day and it will taste fresh and delish.
Hi! Thank you so much for your recipe! I really enjoyed it, but I admittedly changed a few things. I used vegan mayo and did not use yogurt. I also didn’t have celery on hand, so I omitted this. lastly, I used vegan sriracha tuna in place of regular tuna and added a splash of vinegar and sugar in too. Fabulous. Thank you!
I made some adjustments but this salad was amazing. Thank you so much
I am trying to use up my pantry stuff so I made this salad with tuna, pasta, peas, red onion, pickles, capers and mayo (no yogurt) and it was delish!!! I could of added cubed cheddar cheese for parties and big events, but it was so good!! Thank you!!
My family and I loved this! I didn’t change much- just squeezed some fresh lemon juice over the mixture and used lemon pepper instead of reg. pepper (I also used a little garlic powder). I probably sound like a goof but as I read through the recipe and comments I was like “Am I supposed to put the frozen peas in here frozen?” but that couldn’t be right….so I took the frozen peas out in the morning and let them thaw- lol. Do you cook the peas?… I did not and the pasta salad came out great! Thank you!
hi. probably you figured this hack out, but throw the frozen peas in with the pasta cooking
after about ten minutes. yw. Bill
Yummmmmmmmmmmy! Subbed sour cream for greek yogurt just because I didn’t want to buy a whole tub of greek yogurt. Added diced carrots. Absolute yum 🙂
I had a hankering for tuna noodle salad, which happens a couple times a year. This salad is absolutely delicious. It’s just like what my mom made when I was younger, except the Greek yogurt and dill elevate the flavors, and it only took 15-minutes to throw together. This recipe is a keeper!
My Mom used to make this all the time growing up. She always added 1-2 hard boiled eggs, good 1/4-1/2 tsp onion powder, parsley instead of dill ( husband wouldnt like dill), and all mayonnaise but maybe next time I’ll try combo and see if anyone notices just to make a little healthier and lower calories! Yummy! Gone in a day in my house!
Yummy. I put paprika in the mayo/yogurt mix for color. Thank you
I guess you could eat it this warm
I’ve made this SO many times. It is easy and delicious and it’s tweakable to your tastes. I’m allergic to celery so I leave it out. I like a squeeze of lime juice over it for the brightness of the citrus. Thanks for sharing this one!!
This is an awesome recipe. I used 1 1/2 cup mayonnaise and no yoghurt. I
I have never made a tuna pasta salad in my life but was looking for quick meals to take to work and saw this. It is absolutely delicious and only took me a few minutes to prep.
I like my tuna packed in oil so I used that and I think Mayo is too bland so I always use Miracle Whip for that extra bite and it resulted in a good salad
Add a little bit of pickle juice for a zing
I made this exact recipe but added more dill, more celery, more Mayo and half a cup of sour cream instead of the yoghurt and it was delicious! It would have been way too dry without the extra Mayo.
Made this with some adjustments to give it more nutrition and a better balance of soft and crunchy textures. Way too little celery in the original recipe. It gives this bowl of mush a much needed crunch and more moisture. Also used real tuna in olive oil, I think it has a better richer flavour. I increased the amounts for almost everything except the dressing. There was plenty of that, even still a touch too much and I didn’t feel like I had to add it all.
Came out great! Something I could eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
3 cups (dry) of fusilli pasta
2 large 160gram cans of tuna in olive oil, drained (Rio Mare brand is the most delicious canned tuna I’ve ever found)
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup chopped cellery (4-5 stalks)
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
fresh dill and Old Bay seasoning
I made this EXACTLY as written (even weighed out the pasta before cooking) – but mine turned out very dry and bland. Had to make more dressing to make it even palatable. Very disappointed – and wondering how it received so many great reviews?? But I think it has good bones, so I will use the recipe as a base, tweak the ingredients, and increase the dressing.
How long can I keep the tuna pasta salad in the fridge? I am hoping to meal prep it for 3-4 days lunch. Thank you.
To quote my wife’s cargiver. “it is the bomb” Instead of tuna, I used smoked salmon and a little stone ground mustard…Made for 6 and gone in an hour…Thank you…it is great!!
Easy and delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
I made this salad twice. I very nice summer dish especially if you love dill.
This is close to a recipe I lost and I’m really excited to find yours. one question though. I never used yogurt. Seems like I mixed some vinegar with the Hellmans mayo, but do not remember how much mayo or vinegar, Any suggestions? Thank you
I’d suggest 2 Tbsp vinegar (or apple cider vinegar) and use 1 cup Mayo total instead of the mayo and yogurt.
Why frozen peas?
Fresh or frozen is fine.
Very nice, I added some Dijon mustard though
I literally just came across this page. I usually do my variation of Tuna Pasta Salad with some of these ingredients, but I also add chopped sweet pepper, sweetcorn, some seasoning to taste…..The kids and hubby love it! I have also experimented with different types of pasta. 🙂
How many cups of dry small shell pasta is 8oz? We don’t use ounces as a measurement in South Africa 🙂 Google is giving me mixed results . . .
It’s about 2-3 cups.
2 cups of dry pasta equals 8 oz.
…such a delicious tuna salad. I made it with a dash of lime juice and mayo minus the Greek yogurt. My husband, who normally frowns at the words of tuna salad, really enjoyed this one. Thank you so much for sharing! 😊
Super easy to make and tasty
So good! Thank you!
Thank you for sharing this divine recipe.
It doesn’t need a thing!! Served with toasted French bread with melted cheese lightly sprinkled with garlic powder and dill…nice crunchy side.
Sounds delicious … must try it with the toasted French bread,,,
Can you use miracle whip salad dressing instead of real mayo? If I can would I skip the yogart or can that be added to rhe miracle whip. Thamks
Sure. I would keep the yogurt just to help mellow the flavor.
I have never made tuna salad before. This recipe was easy to make. I had to use chopped red pepper instead of celery and only used mayo. I loved the dill seasoning. Both os us really enjoyed this recipe!
I don’t have and Greek yogurt on hand, can I just leave it out or would sour cream work?
Sour cream or mayo would work!
This Tuna Pasta Salad is fantastic, tasted delicious as well as healthy! Love the idea of mixing the non fat greek yougurt with the mayonnaise, it really does make the dressing more creamy and rich!! The only thing I added was lemon….I had a half of lemon left over from the night before and squeezed it into the dressing, wallah! Delicioso! So good, plan on sharing this with all my BFF’s. Thank you!!
No lemon is great I do that and brown mustard Dijon or spicy brown it makes it perfect
Great pasta salad…’this recipe is the best… sometimes I add chopped radishes & sweet or dill relish… in the past I wasn’t able to make pasta salad For a meal.. but now I look forward to it!!!
So yummy and refreshing on a hot summer night!
So, this was great! I didn’t have peas, so I chopped up some English cucumber and some radishes. I really didn’t have high hopes for the dressing/seasonings, but it was fantastic. Thank you
It’s the celery that makes it a winner .
Great, easy recipe. Made as is except cut mayo and yogurt in half (so 1/4c of each). Glad I did, was creamy enough with that! Also only had tricolor pasta on hand- was great!
My husband and I loved this recipe. At this time, when we have to be quarantined, we’re trying to find different recipes of all types. Tonight, we had the ingredients for this recipe. I’ll definitely make this again, and possibly add a few ingredients of my own to change it up. Thank you for sharing.
Lorena and Dan
I’ve never liked pasta salad, I always thought cold pasta with mayonnaise was weird, but my boyfriend begged me to make him a pasta salad for his work lunches. I’d never made one so I searched and found this recipe, I had all the ingredients so I tried it. Now I make it every week and double it so I can have some too. I think it’s the yoghurt that makes it so delicious and creamy without being over the top.
So I’ve tried it like this and it’s yummy. Second time around I doubt led the recipe, left out the cheese and added half cup of ranch dressing and 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese. It really kicked it up! So good!
Just tried, so easy, creamy and delicious!!
Very good! Added more onion and some broccoli.
I was never a tuna fan. Then one summer’s afternoon when it was just too hot to light the stove for a lengthy period I decided to make a “quickie”meal and made this salad….absolutely loved it
If your hubby hates peas like mine…add some sweet or dill relish. Mine prefers sweet. It’s amazing. You can add the relish with the peas for an extra kick. This is the best recipie. Ya gotta use the Greek yogurt. You can substitute the yogurt with sour cream. But it this sour element is needed to make it special. ♡
When I was a teen, back in the 60’s, my best friend made this for me. I loved it. Since it was so easy, I remembered how to make it. Yes, it has sweet relish in it. So yummy, I just made it today! To refresh any salad with mayo, I add a tablespoon of white vinegar and mix it all up again. Gently so as not to smash the peas.
I love this salad. I use low sodium albacore and Chobani plain Greek yogurt. I add some diced red pepper and sometimes a little shredded cheddar cheese. I also make it with gluten free rotini pasta. My new favorite salad!
Agree 🙂 It’s really good:)👍❤️👍
Looked for a real good tuna pasta salad and I found it here.
GREAT SALAD, EASY TO THROW TOGETHER WITH GREAT FLAVOR, SERVED A SIDE OF BOILED EGG AND COLD SHRIMP, ENDED UP BRING A NICE COLD PLATTER FOR DINNER
I’ve made this recipe a couple of times now, both times making some adjustments for personal taste. I added fresh dill rather than dried and also some lemon juice and diced yellow peppers the first time as I didn’t have peas. The second time I added fresh dill, lemon zest rather than juice and lemon salt rather than regular salt. This recipe is so easy to customize and keeps great in the fridge for easy lunches for several days. I love greek yogurt and I love it in this recipe!
This recipe was so good! It’s the dressing that makes it! Thanks for sharing!
How long does this keep? Gonna use this idea for my lunch for the week.
Hi Caleb, it will keep for several days but the quality is never as good days later because the noodles soak up the moisture from the pasta salad. I would enjoy it with 2-3 days. Hope that helps 🙂
I did not have dill , so Iadded a little dill relish. Cooked some hard boiled eggs to go with! Love it!
What a great adaptation. Thanks for sharing!
I’ve made this twice now and it’s super delicious !! Perfect for snack time or lunch time. Absolutely delicious.
I have wanted to try this recipe for a while. Finally made it today as a side for dinner. It was very good, but I have never tasted Greek yogurt before. I did not like that taste in this salad. When I make it again, I’ll use only mayo. I guess the sharp taste of the Greek yogurt surprised me. Thanks for sharing.
Just got around to trying this and I love it!
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!
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!!
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
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.
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)?
Hi Melissa, scroll to the very BOTTOM of the recipe card and you’ll find it there.
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!
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!
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.
I just made the recipe and I love it! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks Nicole! I’m so happy you liked it 🙂
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.
Thanks for your tips!
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?
Yes, I think it will be delicious with those adaptions 🙂
Looks great! Can’t wait to give it a try.
Would also be good with some powdered ranch dressing in the salad
This is so good, I could eat it for breakfast!
Thanks Kathy 🙂
Thank you Lauren Allen!!
this is DELICIOUS!!!! BUT…what is a kcal????????? I googled it and this recipe has 291000 calories???????????? If there are 5 servings, that would make 58200 calories per serving. I know that can’t be right. Help!!!!!!!!
Hi Sherry, the recipe template that calculates the nutritional information uses the scientific term for food calories (Kcal) which is the same as Calories, in this case. This recipe has about 290 calories per single serving. There are 5 servings. 🙂
Delicious salade for the summertime
It really is! Thanks Tamara!
This is DELICIOUS and so incredibly easy to make! Thanks so much for sharing!
What kind of Tuna do you recommend – water or oil? Also what size of can? Is there a favorite brand you have?
Thank you!
I would only use tuna packed in water. If you use the tuna packed in oil, it will also be packed in extra calories and fat. If you are going for a lighter taste and a healthier option, use tuna packed in water. FYI-tuna packed in oil does not sit well on everyone’s stomach. I would add a little lemon pepper seasoning and garlic to this salad as well to add a little more flavor. I cannot wait to make this and serve it in lettuce cups! YUM!!!
This recipe is delicious! Thank you so much for sharing your delicious ideas.
Just made this! Very YUMMY! Will definitely make this this summer when invited to BBQs. Makes wonderful cold side pasta salad!