Best Tuna Pasta Salad

4.3 from 9 votes

Posted August 5, 2020Last Updated October 24, 2024

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Shell pasta, hard boiled eggs, tuna, celery and peas are tossed with a dill infused mayonnaise dressing in this classic pasta salad that is always a hit at potlucks and barbecues.

When it comes to pasta salad, there are a million ways to make it, but for me, this recipe for the Best Tuna Pasta Salad is a classic.

This is the kind of pasta salad our grandmothers used to make, and probably their grandmothers before that. Although I’m pretty sure they didn’t have canned tuna that long ago, so maybe not.

But I think you know what I’m saying. This creamy, delicious pasta salad has been showing up at church potlucks and family reunions for years, and for good reason.

Although the list of ingredients is fairly simply (some might even say a bit odd) it all comes together perfectly. I like to think of it as the comfort food of pasta salads.

Of course, everyone has their favorite way of making it, with their own personal touches and family traditions thrown in, so feel free to take my favorite recipe for tuna pasta salad and make it your own.

This isn’t necessarily a kid-friendly salad–most pasta salads aren’t. I get it. I wouldn’t have touched this stuff as a kid–tuna, peas, celery, hard boiled eggs. No thank you!

Of course, this is one of those dishes (much like potato salad) that I wouldn’t eat as a child, but absolutely love as an adult. If you’re anything like me and haven’t though about trying it in awhile, go for it! It’s a wonderful pasta salad.

Like I said, there are a lot of things you can do to suit this recipe to your tastes. For a little more color, use red bell peppers instead of green. Diced red onions are a nice addition too.

As far as I’m concerned, it’s just not the same without the hard boiled eggs. But you can definitely leave them out if they’re not for you.

Next time you need to bring something along to a potluck or backyard barbecue, I highly recommend the Best Tuna Pasta Salad. Trust me, it will disappear!

Be sure to save this recipe for the Best Tuna Pasta Salad to your favorite Pinterest board for later.

Here’s what you’ll need to make the Best Tuna Pasta Salad

Shell pasta
Mayonnaise
Dijon mustard
Pickle relish
Vinegar
Sugar
Eggs
Produce: garlic, fresh parsley, celery, bell peppers
Spices: dill weed, cayenne pepper, onion powder, salt and pepper
Canned tuna
Frozen peas

Best Tuna Pasta Salad

Shell pasta, hard boiled eggs, tuna, celery and peas are tossed with a dill infused mayonnaise dressing in this classic pasta salad that is always a hit at potlucks and barbecues.

4.34 from 9 votes

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Course: Salads

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 40

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 355kcal

Author: Danelle

Ingredients

For the dressing

1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup dill pickle relish
1 clove garlic minced
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dill weed
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

For the salad

16 ounces shell pasta
2-3 hard boiled eggs chopped
2 4 oz. cans tuna, drained
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
1/2 cup diced celery
1 small green pepper diced
1-2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped

Equipment

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing, set aside.
Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse under cold water and drain. Add pasta, along with eggs, tuna, frozen peas, celery and pepper to a large bowl and toss to combine. Add dressing and stir gently until well coated.
Cover and refrigerate until serving. Just before serving, stir in fresh parsley. Reseason with additional salt and pepper, if needed.

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