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    Home » Recipes » Pasta Salads

    Tuna Pasta Salad

    By: Jessica · Posted: Jun 30, 2022 · Updated: Jan 10, 2024 · This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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    Jump to Recipe 7 comments
    5 from 9 votes
    tuna pasta salad in white bowl with text on image

    Tuna Pasta Salad: A creamy, easy recipe using simple, everyday ingredients like mayo, and a few spices, that can be made in only 20 minutes!

    A delicious side dish to serve for any weeknight main course or to even have for a quick, fulfilling lunch!

    Tuna pasta salad in white bowl

     

    If you love recipes like this one, then you’ll also love all of our easy delicious pasta salad recipes!

    What You’ll Love About This Pasta Salad

    Our shrimp macaroni salad has been visited by you all, SO many times, so I knew that since you loved it as much as I did, then you’d also love what we call the best tuna pasta salad recipe!

    • This creamy tuna pasta salad is the perfect side dish for a summer bbq or to simply have for an easy lunch or on a busy weeknight as a main course, too!
    • If you keep most of the ingredients on hand in the pantry (canned tuna, pasta, vinegar, spices, etc.) you sure won’t need much else, to whip this up in a flash!
    Jump to:
    • What You’ll Love About This Pasta Salad
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Substitutions
    • Variations
    • Storage
    • Top tip
    • Related Recipes
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    Ingredients

    10 simple ingredients are all it takes to make this dish! (Even less if you don’t want to use celery or green onion… as they’re optional but they add so much flavor and texture! So I HIGHLY recommend them.)

    ingredients on table for tuna pasta salad

    What you’ll need:

    • 5 ounce can of tuna fish, drained
    • 1 cup uncooked rotini
    • ½ cup mayonnaise
    • 2 teaspoons plain vinegar
    • ½ teaspoon seasoned salt
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon white sugar
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¼ cup chopped green onions
    • ¼ cup chopped celery

    See the printable recipe card toward the end of this post for ingredients and instructions all in one place.

    Instructions

    1. Boil rotini in water, according to package directions. Drain the cooked pasta and rinse with cold water to cool it down. Place in a large bowl (big enough for all ingredients, and room to stir), or in the bowl that you plan to serve the tuna pasta salad in. Set aside.
    Cooked rotini in white bowl
    Cooked Rotini
    1. In a small mixing bowl, add mayo and vinegar.
    mayo in white bowl
    Mix mayonnaise…
    vinegar pouring in to dish
    Add vinegar…
    1. Next, pour in garlic powder, sugar, seasoned salt, and black pepper.
    sugar and garlic powder pouring in to dish
    Add sugar & garlic powder
    black pepper and salt pouring in to dish
    Add salt & pepper
    1. Stir to combine mayo and vinegar mixture with spices.
    seasonings and mayo in white dish
    Seasonings and mayo
    seasonings mixed with mayo in dish
    Seasonings mixed
    1. Pour mayonnaise mixture over pasta.
    mayo mixture poured on top of pasta
    Pour mayo on pasta
    1. Add tuna, celery, and green onion.
    Add tuna on to pasta salad
    Add tuna
    celery and green onion added to tuna pasta
    Add green onion & celery
    1. Stir until fully combined and mixed together.
    Pasta mixed with mayo and vegetables
    Stir to combine

    Serve this cold tuna pasta salad right away or chill for later!

    tuna pasta salad in white serving bowl with red napkin underneath

    Substitutions

    If you find that you’re out of some of the items that this recipe calls for, it’s ok to switch some things up! Here are some things you can consider:

    • Canned tuna: I prefer the canned tuna that’s in water but you can use the tuna in oil if that’s what you have on hand.
    • Pasta: I love the texture of the rotini pasta for this salad but it’s absolutely ok to substitute an other type of pasta, such as elbow pasta, shell pasta, bowtie pasta, etc. I would just recommend a short, smaller pasta, over a longer pasta. You can also use a whole wheat pasta if you prefer.
    • Seasoned Salt: If you’re not a fan of this, you can use regular table salt if you prefer.
    • Vinegar: Don’t have white vinegar on hand? You may want to try a little lemon juice instead, to get that zing!
    • Mayo: I prefer mayo over Miracle Whip or greek yogurt but you can definitely experiment with these if that’s all that you have on hand.
    Tuna pasta salad on lettuce as a salad

    Variations

    Eating this tuna pasta salad just the way it is, is my favorite. However, a runner-up to eating it alone, is eating it on a bed of lettuce as a main dish! The crunch of the lettuce leaves with the softness of the pasta and tuna is absolutely incredible, and gives such delicious flavors!

    Love kicking things up a notch? Have fun with added flavors, such as hot sauce for a kick!

    Other ingredients you may want to consider adding in this easy tuna macaroni salad if you like to mix things up, are:

    • red onion
    • orange bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, green bell pepper or red bell peppers
    • other fresh herbs (such as fresh dill)
    • cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
    • lemon zest
    • fresh peas
    • english cucumber
    tuna pasta salad in white bowl

    Storage

    If you have left over tuna pasta salad, store it in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also cover the dish that it’s in, with plastic wrap to keep for later.

    Top tip

    You can make this in advance if you’re planning on making it for an event or taking it to a potluck. Making it a day in advance or the morning of would be a good idea! Just stir the pasta salad right before serving!

    Related Recipes

    If you love these kinds of recipes, then you’ll also want to check out this tuna salad recipe, crab salad, and this zesty pasta salad!

    Or if you’re looking for a warmer dish that utilizes canned tuna, you’ll love this tuna casserole recipe.

    Did you make this? I’d be so grateful if you left a “star” rating below to let me know what you thought! Then, the next time you need a quick and easy recipe, come back to Fantabulosity to browse all of my easy recipes!

    Recipe

    Tuna pasta salad in white bowl

    Tuna Pasta Salad

    Jessica Burgess
    Tuna Pasta Salad: An easy recipe using simple, everyday ingredients like mayo, and a few spices, that can be made in only 20 minutes!
    5 from 9 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 20 minutes mins
    Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6 servings
    Calories 190 kcal

    Ingredients

    • 5 ounces canned tuna in water (drained)
    • 1 cup uncooked rotini
    • ½ cup mayonnaise
    • 2 teaspoons plain distilled vinegar
    • ½ teaspoon seasoned salt
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon white granulated sugar
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¼ cup chopped green onion
    • ¼ cup chopped celery

    Instructions
     

    • Boil rotini in water, according to package directions. Drain, and rinse with cold water to cool it down. Place in mixing bowl, or in the bowl that you plan to serve the tuna pasta salad in. Set aside.
    • In a small mixing bowl, add mayo and vinegar.
    • Next, pour in garlic powder, sugar, seasoned salt, and black pepper.
    • Stir to combine mayo and vinegar mixture with spices.
    • Pour mayonnaise mixture over pasta.
    • Add tuna, celery, and green onion.
    • Stir until fully combined and mixed together. Serve!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 190kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 369mg | Potassium: 95mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 87IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

    Keywords cold pasta salad recipe, easy pasta salad, easy side dish, easy side dish recipe, pasta salad recipe
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Comments

      5 from 9 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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    1. Dianna says

      January 10, 2024 at 12:31 am

      1 cup of Pasta doesn’t seem like very much? Adding chopped hard boiled eggs is a great addition!!!

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        January 10, 2024 at 8:28 am

        Hi Dianna! The cooked pasta will definitely get bigger in size… and this amount mixes well with the other ingredients, or if more, it wouldn’t be as creamy. However it’s super easy to double or even triple this recipe if needed, to make more! I hope you love it as much as we do! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Cindy says

      June 28, 2023 at 7:52 pm

      I love this tuna pasta salad so much! I’ve made it several times. My changes – I use 2 cups of pasta otherwise it seems overly saucy. I also add onion powder. Other than that it’s perfect! Thank you for posting!

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        June 28, 2023 at 8:25 pm

        So glad that you love this tuna pasta salad Cindy!! Adding onion powder sounds yummy too!

        Reply
    3. Kristyn says

      July 01, 2022 at 9:46 am

      5 stars
      Simple, but so tasty!! I haven’t made this in a while, so thank you for the reminder. My family loves it! Time to add it to the menu!

      Reply
    4. Toni says

      July 01, 2022 at 8:09 am

      5 stars
      This was so good!! I’d definitely make this again and again for weeknights! Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
    5. Jen says

      July 01, 2022 at 1:22 am

      5 stars
      Delicious!!! It was a huge hit over here! We loved this tuna pasta salad 🙂

      Reply

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    Jessica Burgess of Fantabulosity, slicing an avocado.

    Hi, I'm Jessica! - Owner and Creator of the blog and brand, Fantabulosity.

    I’m here to teach you how to make quick and easy recipes, using simple ingredients, that your family will love.

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