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Easy Cold Pasta Salad with Tuna Recipe

Easy Cold Pasta Salad with Tuna

A creamy, crunchy tuna pasta salad made with short pasta, peas, celery, red onion, sweet relish, and a tangy mayonnaise-sour cream dressing. Chill it before serving for the best flavor and texture.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 1 minute
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta and Tuna
  • 8 ounces (225 g) Rotini, macaroni, or other short pasta
  • 2 5-ounce cans (142 g each) Canned tuna, drained
Dressing
  • 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup Sweet pickle relish
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon, plus more for pasta water Kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
  • 1-2 tablespoons, as needed Pickle juice or lemon juice
Vegetables and Garnish
  • 1 cup Frozen peas, thawed
  • 1/2 cup Celery, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup Red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon, optional Fresh parsley, chopped
Optional Additions
  • 1/4 teaspoon, optional Garlic powder
  • 1 egg, optional Hard-boiled egg, chopped

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente, usually 8 to 10 minutes.
  2. Drain the pasta and rinse it briefly under cold water to stop the cooking and cool it. Drain very well so excess water does not thin the dressing.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream or Greek yogurt, sweet pickle relish, Dijon mustard, kosher salt, black pepper, and 1 tablespoon of pickle juice or lemon juice.
  4. Add the cooled pasta, drained tuna, thawed peas, chopped celery, red onion, and parsley to the bowl. Add garlic powder or chopped hard-boiled egg if desired.
  5. Fold gently until the ingredients are evenly coated. Break the tuna into small pieces while leaving some visible chunks for a pleasant texture.
  6. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour before serving. Stir well before serving, adding a spoonful of mayonnaise, yogurt, or pickle juice if the salad has thickened.

Notes

Salt the pasta water well and avoid overcooking the pasta. Reserve a little mayonnaise or dressing to refresh the salad after chilling because pasta absorbs dressing in the refrigerator.