Tuna Pasta Salad
If you have been spending time with me here at Sly Rooster, it might appear that I have a thing with pasta salad (see Martini Pasta Salad, Swiss Chard Tiny Pasta Salad, Greek Pasta Salad). Well, you wouldn’t be wrong. I love a pasta salad that is chock-full of bits and easy to keep in the fridge for help-yourself kinds of meals.
In this case, we are talking about Tuna Pasta Salad from New York Times Cooking. This incarnation of pasta salad combines two of my guilty pleasures, tuna noodle casserole (there are two recipes for tuna noodle casserole on Sly Rooster–use the Recipe Search tool) and macaroni salad (the good ole Amish kind you find in the supermarket). Polarizing, I know.
This Tuna Pasta Salad is super easy, protein-laced, and pretty much no-cook (if you discount boiling water for pasta). We enjoyed it for lunch over several days, but it is also a nice, simple dinner. One that can be made ahead and eaten when convenient. My mother had the brilliant idea to add a bit of sweet pickle relish. I liked the pasta salad both with and without, so I will include it in the recipe below as an option. Enjoy!
Tuna Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb short pasta elbows, small shells, etc.
- 1/2 c mayonnaise
- 1/2 c plain Greek yogurt at least 2% fat
- 2 Tbls freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 7-9 oz canned or jarred tuna drained
- 1 c frozen peas thawed
- 1 c small diced celery (1-2 celery ribs)
- 1/2 c diced red onion
- 1/4 c finely chopped fresh dill or parsley plus more for serving
- 1/4 c sweet pickle relish optional
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package, then drain and rinse under cold running water. Drain well.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice, mustard, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Add the cooled, drained pasta and toss well.
- Add the tuna, peas, celery, red onion , dill and relish (if using) and toss again.
- Add more salt and pepper to taste, garnish with additional fresh dill and serve.