Description
This creamy and healthy Tuna Pasta Salad is perfect for meal prep. It offers a flavorful, satisfying lunch or picnic side dish that you can make ahead of time. I bring a touch of my Italian heritage to this classic comfort food.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound pasta (such as rotini or elbow macaroni)
- 2 cans (5 ounces each) tuna in water, drained
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (or light mayonnaise)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse immediately with cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside to cool completely.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt (or mayonnaise), lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. This creates your creamy dressing base.
- Add the drained tuna, chopped celery, red onion, and parsley to the dressing mixture. If using, add the sweet pickle relish now.
- Gently fold all the ingredients together until everything is well combined and coated evenly with the dressing.
- Taste the salad and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Cover the bowl and chill the Tuna Pasta Salad in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving. This allows the flavors to meld together.
Notes
- For a lighter version, use Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise.
- Rinsing the cooked pasta with cold water is important for a good salad texture.
- This salad tastes best when made a few hours ahead of time.
- You can add chopped hard-boiled eggs for extra protein.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American with Italian influence
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 40mg