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Make the best healthy tuna pasta salad with minimal prep in just 30 minutes, or less. Featuring the perfect mix of flaky tuna, tender macaroni pasta, fresh veggies, salty parmesan, and a better-for-you creamy Greek yogurt dressing, this macaroni salad with tuna is a total crowd-pleaser that’s perfect for picnics, potlucks, barbecues and more!
“This is the ONLY WAY i eat tuna. I live in Peru and at every gathering they ask for this recipe. I do add some chopped red pepper for color and extra crunch. It disappears before any other food.”
– SHARON
Update: This post was originally published in August 2020. I made updates to the post below to include more information about pasta salad with tuna. Plus, I added a recipe video to show you exactly how easy it is to make this delicious recipe at home.
Hi, friends! Today I’m sharing a healthy, yet delicious take on a classic summertime dish – tuna macaroni salad.
In case you roll your eye and think “gross” or “yuck” at the sound of tuna mac salad – just hear me out! My other half and most of my friends (shockingly!) absolutely loathe tuna macaroni, but they’ll devour this version like there’s no tomorrow.
So, trust and believe (also no offense to the wonderful ladies in your life), this isn’t your mama’s or grandmama’s macaroni salad. This right HERE is healthy, fresh, flavorful, and so darn delicious it just might make want to re-think about your stance on tuna pasta salad.
Table of Contents
About this tuna salad with macaroni
Just like the classic bbq side dish, this recipe for macaroni tuna salad is incredibly simple to prepare. And it will absolutely leave you with that familiar, comforting, nostalgic feeling. However, (and this is a big however) there’s no soft, mushy pasta, overly-sweet, thick shellac of mayonnaise dressing, stale flavor, or unpleasant metallic aftertaste! This version of tuna salad with macaroni is all about bright, fresh flavors, spot-on textures, and a lightened-up, flavorful creamy dressing.
This tuna macaroni salad features tender and pleasantly chewy pasta, flaky tuna, crunchy celery, delicate green onions, sweet peas, pungent red onions, herbaceous fresh herbs, and savory, salty parmesan cheese. Then, the whole dish gets generously drizzled and tossed with a tangy, slightly sweet, impossibly creamy yogurt dressing. And the end result? SO GOOD! It’s a complex, incredibly delicious mixture of macaroni and tuna salad that is downright delish!
If you love protein-rich tuna as much as I do, be sure to try these delicious recipes next: Tuna Poke Bowl, Spicy Tuna Recipe, Avocado Tuna Salad, and Sesame Crusted Tuna.
Why you will love this healthy recipe
- Tons of flavor and texture! From the flaky tuna and tender pasta to the crunchy fresh veggies and flavorful dressing, this salad has got it going on!
- So simple to prepare! If you can boil water, you can make this salad! Which makes is wonderful for last minute get togethers or busy weeknight dinners!
- Lightened up! While other versions are loaded with mayonnaise and sugar, this recipe features a flavorsome, yet healthier Greek yogurt dressing! Plus, it uses tuna canned in water to cut even more calories and fat!
- Packable and travels well! This pasta salad travels well in a cooler, making it the perfect addition to picnics, potlucks and barbecues!
- Feeds a crowd! This recipe serves approximately eight people. However, it’s incredibly easy to adjust the serving size up or down according to your needs!
- Budget friendly! You probably already have most of the ingredients for this recipe on hand (e.g. dry pasta, tuna, frozen peas, yogurt, mayo, dijon, salt, pepper, sugar, etc.), which makes this salad economical and totally budget-friendly!
- Totally customizable! This salad is completely flexible and customizable! Use whatever ingredients you love and swap out the ones you don’t! (Scroll down to see tuna salad variations!)
Ingredients for cold tuna macaroni salad with tuna
This tuna recipe is incredibly simple and fuss-free to prepare! However, it’s bursting with delicious flavor and flavor from the protein-rich tuna and medley of vegetables! The ingredients are easy-to-find and flexible, so you can adapt to what’s in season or add things you love!
- Tuna: I prefer solid white tuna, but chunk light tuna works just as well. Just make sure you select a good quality tuna that is packed in water, not oil. Canned tuna in oil adds unnecessary calories, plus it will make the salad too oily and greasy tasting. For the best tuna mac salad, make your own tuna salad!
- Pasta: I like to use elbow macaroni in my pasta salad; however any small or medium dry pasta will work well! (See below for tips on the best pasta shapes for pasta salad!)
- Celery: Two large ribs of celery add plenty of crunch!
- Fresh Herbs: Thinly sliced green onions, chopped dill and parsley provide delicate herbaceous flavor.
- Frozen Peas: Sweet baby or petite peas provide subtly sweet, fresh tasting flavor! Make sure you defrost the peas under cool running water.
- Red Onion: Finely chopped red onion gives the salad color and mild sharp flavor.
- Parmesan: Freshly grated parmesan adds complexity to the salad.
- Dressing: A healthier creamy Greek Yogurt dressing provides a serious punch of flavor! (See below for dressing details.)
Salad dressing ingredients
To make this tuna pasta salad healthy, we are using a light, yet deliciously creamy dressing!
Creating a healthy pasta salad dressing starts with one simple trick – substituting most of the heavy, calorie-laden mayonnaise for Greek yogurt! By using mostly Greek yogurt, and just a touch of mayonnaise, you get all the lovely rich creaminess of traditional pasta salad dressings with significantly less fat and more protein! To really make this dressing shine, you will add in fresh lemon juice, sharp dijon mustard and flavorsome seasonings to create a dressing that is well balanced and absolutely amazing!
Recipe variations
This tuna mac salad is incredibly flexible! I recommend using this recipe as a guide and customizing it with whatever ingredients you love to create the best tuna pasta salad for your tastebuds
- Vegetables: The best pasta salads have an assortment of vegetables for color and texture. Try adding bell pepper, cucumber, zucchini, grated carrot, radishes, cherry tomatoes, and even cauliflower! (See below for more information on adding vegetables to create an ultra healthy pasta salad!)
- Herbs: I love dill, parsley and scallions, but you can use any fresh herb you love. Cilantro, chervil and thyme are also great options!
- Meats: Want a little more heft in your pasta salad? Add in diced ham, chopped turkey or crumbled bacon!
- Cheese: I love the subtle salty and nutty flavors of parmesan. But, cubes of sharp cheddar or mozzarella pearls taste great too!
- Extras: The best part of pasta salads is flavorful extras! Sweet pickle relish, chopped dill pickles, avocado, hard boiled eggs, olives, pickled vegetables or your favorite fixings will really make this salad shine! (See below for more healthy mix-ins to add to pasta salad!)
Tips for the best success!
- Use good-quality tuna packed in water. Tuna is one of the main ingredients, so make sure you purchase good-quality tuna from a brand you trust! Look for a brand that has big, firm pieces of tuna fish. Don’t flake the fish, just break it into big, bite-sized pieces before mixing it to the salad.
- Cook the pasta just past al dente. This may sound counterintuitive, but cook the pasta two minutes beyond the al dente stage! The pasta should be soft, but not mushy throughout! This is key, as once the pasta is shocked, it will firm up and regain that perfect al dente texture!
- Shock the pasta. Shocking the pasta means draining and rinsing it under cold water to stop the cooking process. The result is perfectly cooked, tender pasta! Shocking also prevents the pasta from absorbing all the dressing which will result in a dry salad.
- Use a mayo-yogurt dressing. Using just mayonnaise makes a pasta salad heavy and too rich. A mixture of mayo and Greek yogurt makes the flavors in this salad shine! The tang of the yogurt balances the rich mayo perfectly!
- Don’t serve it straight from the fridge. Serving a tuna mac salad shivering cold, straight from the fridge will subdue the flavors. It also makes the texture less appealing. It is so much better to serve pasta closer to room temperature! This helps the salad have a more delightful texture and bright flavor. (Just don’t let it sit out for more than 2 hours to avoid any food-poisoning scenarios.)
Step-by-step photos: making this recipe at home
FAQs: frequently asked questions
Can I use a different pasta shape?
Elbow macaroni is the traditional shape of pasta used in tuna salads. However, you can use pasta shape you love in this recipe for tuna mac salad.
For the best pasta salad, I recommend using a short variety of pasta with plenty of nooks and crannies to trap the creamy dressing. Small pasta shapes, such as macaroni, shells, rotini, or bowtie are the most ideal varieties. See below for pasta varieties you can use here.
- Macaroni (Elbows)
- Shells
- Rotini
- Bowtie (Farfalle)
- Ditalini
- Fusilli
- Gemelli
- Penne
Note: While fresh pasta has a time and a place, it doesn’t work great in pasta salads! Fresh pasta tends to break apart and doesn’t hold up well in pasta salad, so make sure you are using dried pasta instead of fresh.
Is macaroni tuna salad healthy?
When you think of “healthy” recipes, you probably probably don’t envision tuna mac salad. However, this recipe proves it is possible to make healthy pasta salad with good-for-you ingredients!
This creamy macaroni tuna salad is a lightened-up version of the classic! Using light tuna packed in water, versus tuna packed in oil, reduces unwanted calories and fat. And, the creamy homemade dressing uses a combination of Greek yogurt and mayonnaise to reduce calories while adding a punch of protein!
- Tuna: Tuna fish is an excellent source of protein and contains healthy omega-3 fatty acids that help combat heart disease. It’s also rich in antioxidants that improve the immune system, such as manganese, zinc and vitamin C.
- Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt packs a healthy punch! It’s a wonderful source of protein, probiotics, calcium and vitamin B-12.
- Calories: There are approximately 173 calories per serving in this recipe.
- Protein: This salad has roughly 8 grams of protein per serving.
How to make this macaroni with tuna salad recipe even healthier?
If you are looking to make this tuna pasta salad recipe even healthier, try using few (or all) of the tiny tweaks below!
- Use whole grain or chickpea pasta: One super simple swap to make this pasta salad even healthier is to use whole-wheat or chickpea macaroni! Using whole-wheat pasta will add more fiber, along with plenty of nutrients, such as vitamin B-6, vitamin E and folate, while using chickpea pasta will give your salad a boost of protein and fiber, along with iron and potassium.
- Bulk up the vegetables: Swap the ratio of pasta to vegetables and make the veggies the main attraction! Incorporating more fresh produce will help up the nutritional value of your salad! You can simply use more peas and onions, or try adding any vegetables you love to the mix! Broccoli, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, spinach and artichoke hearts are all tasty options!
- Add more protein: If you are looking to serve this pasta salad as an entree, try adding more protein to create a meal that will keep you fuller for longer! You can simply add more tuna, or try throwing in some white beans, salmon, shrimp and/or hard-boiled eggs!
- Dressing: This homemade dressing offers lower calories and more nutrients than heavy store-bought versions. However, you can make this dressing even healthier if you would like by tweaking the recipe! Instead of using a 1:1 ratio of yogurt and mayonnaise, use 2/3 cup Greek yogurt and 1/3 cup mayonnaise. As well, you can substitute the sugar with a healthier alternative, such as honey, coconut sugar, Swerve or Stevia!
- Incorporate some healthy fats: “Healthy fats” (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats) will help you feel more satisfied while also reducing your LDL cholesterol. To improve your heart health, make sure you use avocado-oil mayonnaise to make the dressing! You can also toss some fresh avocado in your pasta salad to amp up creamy textures while reaping more nutritional benefits!
Can I make this recipe for tuna salad with macaroni in advance?
The great thing about pasta salads – they get better over time! This recipe for tuna mac salad tastes better once the pasta, tuna, and vegetables sit in the dressing for a while. Allowing the flavors to develop and meld for at least an hour or two (in the refrigerator) makes all the difference in the world.
I recommend making this tuna noodle salad at least 2 hours in advance. When you are ready to serve, stir in a bit more dressing, add in a little salt, pepper and fresh herbs to taste and watch the flavors come to life!
This creamy salad is so satisfying and insanely easy to throw together! It’s delicious as a quick meal and also the perfect side dish to complement summer picnics, potlucks and outdoor barbecues! One bite and this recipe will become a fast family favorite!
Cheyanne
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More pasta salad recipes!
If you love this macaroni salad with tuna, try one of these delicious recipes next!
Tuna Salad with Macaroni
Equipment
- 1 Large Pot (for cooking macaroni pasta)
- 1 Small mixing bowl (for mixing dressing)
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl (for making tuna pasta salad)
Ingredients
For the Macaroni Tuna Salad
- 8 ounces Dry Small Pasta – (1/2 pound or about 2 cups dry pasta) (SEE NOTES)
- 2 (5 ounce) Cans Albacore White Tuna – drained (SEE NOTE)
- 2 large ribs Celery – finely sliced (about ¾ cup)
- 3 medium Green Onions (dark & light green parts only) – thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup)
- 1 1/4 cup Frozen Peas – thawed (SEE NOTES)
- 1/2 small Red Onion – finely chopped (about scant 1/2 cup)
- 2 TBS EACH: Chopped Fresh Dill & Chopped Flat-leaf Parsley , plus more for garnish (SEE NOTES)
- 2 TBS Freshly Grated Parmesan – plus more for garnish
- Coarse Sea Salt & Ground Black Pepper – to taste
For the Dressing:
- 2/3 cup Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream (I used nonfat Greek Yogurt)
- 1/3 cup Good-quality Mayonnaise (SEE NOTES)
- 1 TBS Fresh Lemon Juice
- 2 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 2 tsp Granulated Sugar
- ¼ tsp Celery Seed
- ¼ tsp Sweet Paprika – plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Boil pasta: Add 2 1/2 quarts (10 cups) of water to a large pot and bring water to a boil. Season water with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Add the pasta and cook for 1 minute PAST al dente according to package instructions. Drain pasta and rinse it with cold water to stop the pasta from cooking. Drain again and allow the pasta to cool. (SEE NOTES)
- Mix the dressing: In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the dressing. Season with 1 teaspoon of sea salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Whisk well to thoroughly combine.
- Assemble pasta salad: In a large bowl, add the cooked and cooled pasta, tuna, celery, green onions, peas, red onion, dill, parsley and parmesan. Toss to combine.
- Add dressing: Pour HALF of the dressing over the pasta mixture. Toss well to evenly coat. Taste the pasta salad and adjust for seasoning.
- Refrigerate: Cover the pasta salad and the remaining dressing. Place both in the refrigerator and allow to chill for 2-3 hours, or until cold. (SEE NOTES)
- Serve: Remove the salad from the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for about 20 minutes to remove the chill. Just before serving, stir in the remaining dressing. Garnish with fresh dill, paprika and a sprinkle of parmesan. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Pasta: I use elbow macaroni in this tuna macaroni salad recipe. However, you can use small shells, bowtie, ditalini or your other favorite bite-size pasta!
- Tuna: White albacore tuna packed in water is best for this pasta salad. Tuna packed in oil tends to make the salad too greasy and oily. If you are using a drained, ready-to-use tuna, you only need 8 ounces (instead of 10).
- Peas: I suggest baby peas or baby sweet peas for this recipe. To defrost, simply run the frozen peas under cold water. Drain before using.
- Herbs: You can use any combination of fresh herbs you like. Basil, cilantro and chervil are also wonderful options. Or, you can use a ¼ cup of just one herb.
- Dressing: To ensure the dressing is heart healthy, make sure use avocado oil mayonnaise or olive oil mayonnaise! Also, you can also use a sugar substitute, such as honey, stevia or Swerve instead of granulated sugar! If you don’t love the tangy flavor of Greek yogurt, you can substitute Sour Cream -OR- simply reduce the amount of Greek yogurt, using 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt and 1/2 cup Mayonnaise.
- Cooking pasta: This may sound counterintuitive, but cook the pasta one to two minutes beyond the al dente stage! The pasta should be soft, but not mushy throughout! This is key, as once the pasta is shocked (rinsed with cold water), it will firm up and regain that perfect al dente texture!
- To quickly cool pasta: Drain the cooked pasta and spread it out on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Spreading the pasta out in a thin, even layer will help it cool for quickly. You can place the baking pan with the pasta in the refrigerator to speed up the cooling process even more.
Nutrition
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Melissa
My boyfriend turns his nose up at the thought of tuna and pasta together, but that’s ok because more for me! I’ve made this a couple of times for easy work lunches, and it does not dissapoint. I imagine it would be a hit at a pot luck as well.
Kathy
Can you put this together, leave out the mayonnaise dressing and freeze it? I put it all together and it’s way too much for me and my husband to eat in 3 days. I haven’t added the mayo yet and was hoping I could just freeze the tuna noodle mixture and add the dressing when thawed.
Cheyanne
Hi Kathy,
I completely understand wanting to freeze this pasta salad as this pasta salad comfortably serves 8. I’m typically just cooking for myself and my husband as well, so for future reference, you can easily decrease the number of servings (which will change the ingredient quantities for you) by hovering your mouse over the number of servings – you will see a slider bar pop up and you can just pull the slider to the left, decreasing the number of servings.
As for freezing the pasta salad: since you didn’t add the mayonnaise dressing, yes you can freeze it! However, I feel like it’s important to be fully transparent – freezing will slightly alter the texture and taste. For example, the celery will lose some of its crispness and the fresh herbs will lose some of their flavor. BUT, freezing anything will always slightly alter the taste/texture. With that said, to freeze it, add the pasta salad (without the dressing) to a freezer-safe zip-closure bag, or individual serving-size bags, and press out all the air before sealing – this will help prevent freezer burn. You can safely store the pasta salad in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to eat, thaw the pasta salad in the refrigerator overnight. Add the dressing and I would add more fresh herbs to brighten up the flavor and bring the pasta salad back to life.
I hope I’ve answered your question! I’m always happy to help! Cheers and warm wishes for a wonderful weekend! 🙂
Nancy
Good recipe. However I find that the narrative leading up to the actual recipe was so unnecessary. Way too much unneeded info.
Cheyanne
Hi Nancy,
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe! Although I’m not sure what “narrative” you are referring to – literally everything before the recipe is information about the recipe. However, if you feel it’s unneeded, you can always use the “JUMP TO RECIPE” button located at the very top of every single page. Cheers!
LucyL.
I find your snarky comment was unnecessary! Way too much snarkyness!
Leslie Gierke
After all these years never ever thought of using greek dressing. Sounds great.
Cheyanne
Hi Leslie,
If you try it, I hope you love it as much as we do!! 🙂
2pots2cook
Perfect office lunch ! Just perfect !
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen
Great video Chey! This looks so delicious! Perfect for summer guests here at the beach!
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
I’m not sure who are those people who might think “gross” or “yuck” to themselves because I absolutely do love the combination of pasta and tuna! And this salad looks and sounds wonderful to me.
Linda Swoveland
Ben I totally agree! When I make my classic macaroni salad I add tuna 95% of the time. We love it!!!
Sharon
This is the ONLY WAY i eat tuna. I live in Peru and at every gathering they ask for this recipe. I do add some chopped red pepper for. Color and extra crunch.
It disappears befor any other food.
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
We absolutely love tuna. On everything, from pasta and pizza to salads. Often straight from a can lol. This tuna pasta salad sounds and looks perfect to me – what’s not like about it? I’m normally not a huge fan of a heavy mayo dressing in pasta salads, so I 100% support this mayo-yogurt variation. Delicious!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
Macaroni salad is one of the great joys of Summer as far as I’m concerned and especially when combined with tuna! So great to have in the fridge all the time 🙂 Yours looks absolutely perfect!
Marissa
Love this lightened up riff on macaroni salad, Chey! So often macaroni salad is too goopy for me, but yours looks perfect!!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen
I’m LOVING this pasta salad Chey! I love tuna! Tom loves fresh caught, I love it from a can. Opposites attract, right?! Can’t wait to give your recipe a try! Pinned!
angiesrecipes
One of my all time favourites is tuna salad, never paired it with pasta though. It looks so comforting and flavourful with that creamy Greek yoghurt dressing.