This healthy tuna pasta salad recipe is tasty, filling, and great for a light summer meal. It's a fabulous make-ahead pasta salad that's perfect for gatherings like potlucks or BBQs.
This tuna pasta salad is a well balanced (and tasty) meal! It has carbs from the pasta, protein from the tuna, and plenty of vitamins and fiber from all the veggies. Olive oil provides good fats, and it has a nice crunch to it. I really like the variety of flavors and textures in here.
It makes great leftovers too, so it's ideal for meal prep (it'll last for up to 5 days in the fridge). I chose tomatoes, celery, and cucumber for the veggies, but feel free to swap out anything you don't like.
You may also like my creamy tuna pasta salad if you fancy a richer dressing.
How to make healthy tuna pasta salad (overview):
Boil your pasta until it's done, then rinse it under cool water and let it drain thoroughly in a colander. Meanwhile, prep the remaining ingredients (tuna, red onion, tomatoes, celery, cucumber, and parsley) and add them to a large salad bowl. Add the drained pasta and toss with the oil and vinegar and season with salt & pepper as needed. (Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below)
Healthy tuna pasta salad dressing:
I just did a mix of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Sometimes simple is the best! Feel free to add more oil and/or vinegar to suit your individual tastes.
Other good stuff you could throw in here:
- Capers
- Kalamata olives
- Chopped red bell peppers
- ...or whatever's in your fridge and needs using up!
You may also like...
- Easy Tuna Salad
- Smoked Salmon Pasta Salad
- Shrimp Pasta Salad
- Easy Canned Tuna Pasta (Ready in 15 Minutes!)
Questions about this easy pasta salad recipe? Leave me a comment below.
Healthy Tuna Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups uncooked pasta (I used bows)
- 1 (6 ounce) can tuna drained
- 2 tablespoons red onion chopped
- 1 cup little tomatoes halved
- 2 sticks celery chopped small
- 1 mini cucumber (or 1/4 English cucumber) chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil a large, salted pot of water for your pasta. Cook it al dente according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, prep your other ingredients and add them to a large bowl (add the vinegar, oil, and salt & pepper after the pasta is done).
- Once the pasta is cooked, rinse it under cold water and let it drain thoroughly. Add it to the bowl with the other ingredients.
- Add the vinegar and olive oil to the bowl. You may want to add more oil and/or vinegar depending on your tastes. Season the pasta salad thoroughly with salt & pepper (it's a lot of pasta so I added quite a bit). You can serve it right away or chill it first (cover the bowl) for the flavors to meld a bit.
Notes
- If you use macaroni for this salad, I suggest reducing the uncooked amount to 2.5 cups.
- As with any pasta salad, feel free to add more/less of any ingredient to make it perfect for your tastes.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition
Amanda Holan says
how many calories is this?
Natasha says
Just added it for you. Keep in mind it'll vary based on actual ingredients... like whether you use oil or water-packed tuna, how much dressing you actually end up adding, how much you serve yourself, and so on.
Zara says
How many days can you leave this in the fridge before it go off?
Natasha says
Hi! It's subjective and depends what you're comfortable with. Like, my mom and husband probably would give it a lot longer than I would lol, but personally I'm not a big leftovers person, and also a bit paranoid about food safety (and pasta salads tend to dry out quite quickly), so I'd say 3-5 days max.
Charlotte Dunaj says
Use this as a base and then add or remove stuff to suit. Always well received x
Natasha says
Wonderful! 🙂
CRI says
Thank you for this deliciously healthy tuna pasta recipe. I used quinoa/broccoli flat noodles instead and added olives and pine nuts. Next time I'll add the bell peppers. It was delicious! 😋😋
Natasha says
You're very welcome!! Love your additions!
CY says
Planning to make this tonight without the tuna. Why no?
Natasha says
Lol I guess?
Kathy says
Made this today for several work lunches this week. Tasted a bit before I portioned it out and it's yummy. Added some fresh lemon to the dressing with the balsamic and subbed full chopped NJ tomatoes and carrots for celery. So good! I plan to grate some Parmesan cheese over the bowl prior to serving.
Natasha says
Yay I am so happy you like it! Your modifications sound delish.
Dave says
I was last-minute drafted to make lunch for my mother-in-law this afternoon. I easily came upon your recipe here, and it was delicious ! Many thanks !
Natasha says
Yay!! So glad to hear it! Thanks, Dave.
Sarah Allen says
If I were to make this for my lunches for the week would you recommend keeping the dressing separate and pouring some on each day before leaving for work?
Natasha says
I think that would work well, Sarah! It does tend to dry out a bit the longer you leave the dressing on.
Karly says
Yum! This looks so delicious!
Natasha says
Thanks, Karly!!
Paula Gouveia says
Hi Natasha! I was searching for easy meals and i found your website. Since then i´m a big fan and i´ve tried some recipies. This one is a must...next one to do because its spring time here and the weather is getting hot. I´ll let you know how it worked. Greetings from Portugal!
Natasha says
Yay I am so happy you like my recipes! Greetings from Canada. 🙂
Faith says
It was so delicious! I needed a low-cost, easy, and healthy meal to take to work that tastes so good that I wouldn’t feel like I was missing out. This recipe was it! Next time I want to use salmon or shrimp—yum! 🙂
Natasha says
I am so happy you liked it, Faith!!! 💕
Natasha's Sister says
How about you just make this for our picnic without tuna??
Natasha says
No.