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Tuna Pasta Salad

October 5, 2011

You're home, you're inspired to cook dinner, you even have a great recipe in mind. Excited, you head into the kitchen to get all of your ingredients out and....oh no! You're missing one!

Has this ever happened to you? It happens to me often and having my dinner plans ruined because I'm out of that one key ingredient drives me crazy. I can't tell you how many times I've wished my refrigerator was stocked with an endless supply of every ingredient known to man because the thought alone of having to drag two kids to the market for just one item is beyond frustrating to me, not to mention unfair to the kids, especially when I have so little time to cook to begin with.

I love this Tuna Pasta Salad because it's rare that I'm ever out of any of the ingredients AND the kids love it. Plus, if you happen to be missing an ingredient, the dish will still hold up (unless of course the one ingredient you're out of is tuna!).

While I can't solve "missing ingredient syndrome", this dish is pretty close to foolproof whether you want to put together a quick lunch or easy dinner. Everything is right within your reach.

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Tuna Pasta Salad  (serves 4)

  • Prep Time:3 minutes,
  • Total Time: 5 minutes,

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 8 oz cans fresh water tuna
  • 4 cups pasta, cooked
  • 1/2 cup carrot, peeled & shredded
  • 1/2 cup cucumber, seeded & diced
  • 1/4 cup dill pickles, diced
  • 1 tomato, seeded & diced

Preparation

  1. 1. Place the first 4 ingredients in a bowl and combine to make the sauce.
  2. 2. Mix the remaining ingredients in a large bowl, pour the sauce on top and combine.
  3. 3. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
  4. 4. Serve.
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Comments






  1. thi20

    October 31, 2012 at 9:02 am

    Reply

    can i use green spagetti? i still have some of those left and i dont wanna buy a new packet of pasta:(

    • catherine

      October 31, 2012 at 12:15 pm

      Reply

      Yes, you can use green spaghetti!

  2. Jen

    September 12, 2012 at 3:06 pm

    Reply

    Delicious! I made this for lunch today and it was very tasty. The pickle adds such a nice touch and I love that the “dressing” is not overbearing or too much of it. Thanks for sharing :)

  3. Leigh

    May 25, 2012 at 11:34 am

    Reply

    I made this with salmon (had it on hand) and it was incredible! My kids gobbled it up and asked for more after! Great dinner for hot days…Thanks for a super yummy recipe!

    PS. I’m pregnant so the pickles were a definite hit for me :)

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  7. Laura Weinand

    October 5, 2011 at 9:56 pm

    Reply

    I’m normally one to turn my nose from tuna…I never really liked it. But I tried this recipe and it is really yummy. Thank you for the recipe!

  8. Clarity

    October 5, 2011 at 9:40 pm

    Reply

    Follow Your Heart’s grapeseed oil Vegannaise is so good, I have not eaten mayo in 3 years — since I first tasted the Vegannaise. Amazing in everything.

  9. Catherine

    October 5, 2011 at 4:57 pm

    Reply

    Hi,

    vitalchoice.com has tuna and salmon very low in mercury and high in selenium (to help bind to and detox mercury). They also have BPA free cans. Check them out. They are a little pricey but good quality.

  10. Judy in Kalamazoo

    October 5, 2011 at 9:50 am

    Reply

    Is the picture a full recipe or a serving? If a serving, it seems rather ample. How much would you estimate a serving to be? I would be making this for 4 – 5 adult eaters.

    • catherine

      October 5, 2011 at 4:51 pm

      Reply

      No, this is a serving in a small bowl. This would be plenty for 4-5 :)

    • catherine

      October 5, 2011 at 11:39 am

      Reply

      The above picture for this recipe is just over 1 serving (the bowl isn’t very big). You could serve it over lettuce and tomatoes to stretch it a bit or just add an extra can of tuna and a tough more veggies, pasta, mayo, lemon juice etc.. to pump it up a bit.

  11. Sara

    October 5, 2011 at 9:38 am

    Reply

    My daughter has egg allergies. What could I substitute for the mayo in this recipe?

    • Kelly

      February 8, 2012 at 2:36 pm

      Reply

      greek yogurt! (:

    • Michelle

      October 6, 2011 at 5:39 am

      Reply

      I always use plain yogurt in my tuna salad. It is a different taste, but I think it is a good mix. In this case, it is only 2 Tbs, so it might be worth a try. Maybe cut back on the lemon juice though, since yogurt can be tangy itself.

    • catherine

      October 5, 2011 at 4:51 pm

      Reply

      You can use vegannaise :)

    • Eden

      October 5, 2011 at 11:36 am

      Reply

      I always substitue Vegenaise for mayonnaise! I love mayo- but seriously, vegenaise tastes just as good and has no cholesterol!

      • catherine

        October 5, 2011 at 11:38 am

        Reply

        Vegannaise is a godsend for vegans and those with food allergies!

  12. Holly

    October 5, 2011 at 8:51 am

    Reply

    I make a similar recipe for my family and always include some kind of beans, chickpeas are my favorite, but there are so many others that would hold up well.

  13. Sarah

    October 5, 2011 at 5:43 am

    Reply

    DO you worry about feeding your family tuna because of the mercury content? I used to love tuna before starting a family but we went cold turkey and have not had a bite since just “in case” our bodies were sensitive to the mercury intake. What are your thoughts? Thanks!

    • catherine

      October 5, 2011 at 11:48 am

      Reply

      Surprisingly, canned tuna is actually a much better choice then line caught tuna if you compare the two. http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/SeafoodWatch/web/sfw_factsheet.aspx?fid=129 As long as you eat it in moderations it’s a good choice You can also buy it in pouches if you’re worried about cans (which I tend to be). Wholefoods sells BPA free canned tuna too.

      • Lauren

        October 5, 2011 at 2:10 pm

        Reply

        I have also read that Chunk light tuna has less mercury than solid white. I usually buy the light tuna in olive oil when I make pasta salads with it. This recipe sounds great! I will try it soon! Thank you!

      • Brandy

        October 5, 2011 at 1:48 pm

        Reply

        Thanks for this info Catherine! It’s nice to see the distinction between fishing methods and mercury safety. Yeah, BPA, that’s another issue…ugh. Wish we didn’t have to worry about this.

    • Brandy

      October 5, 2011 at 9:32 am

      Reply

      Yeah, this will be fantastic with salmon instead! I haven’t had tuna in the last 5 yrs or so because of the mercury issue.

    • Laurie

      October 5, 2011 at 7:36 am

      Reply

      I have that same concern. It’s a personal choice so you need to do what you feel comfortable with, but I won’t feed my son tuna. I don’t trust it. But I can see this recipe being just as good with canned chicken or even beans if you have those on hand. You could even serve it without meat/beans if you didn’t have any as the pasta and veggies would be enough to satisfy my little guy. Thanks Catherine! The great thing about your recipes is that they are so versatile that you can really customize them to meet your family’s needs. Just having these ideas helps immensely. Love your site!

      • Shira B

        October 5, 2011 at 8:42 am

        Reply

        When I was vegetarian I used to substitute tuna with shredded carrots! It was awesome. Salmon is a good alternative protein.


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