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    Home » Recipes

    Healthy Tuna Pasta Salad

    Published: May 14, 2019 / Updated: Aug 1, 2021 / 26 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my affiliate disclosure for more details.

    Jump to Recipe

    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. 

    Tuna pasta salad close-up

    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.

    Healthy tuna pasta salad in a glass prep bowl

    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.

    Tuna pasta salad in a bowl

    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!)

    Tuna pasta salad in two bowls

    Questions about this easy pasta salad recipe? Leave me a comment below. 

    Tuna pasta salad close-up

    Healthy Tuna Pasta Salad

    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. 
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6
    Calories 221 kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    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

    Calories: 221kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 13gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 116mgPotassium: 236mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 354IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword healthy tuna pasta salad
    Author Natasha Bull

     

    « Easy Shrimp Tacos
    Creamy Chicken Spinach Pasta »

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    1. Alex says

      June 16, 2022 at 10:53 AM

      How many grams is a serving?

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        June 16, 2022 at 11:41 AM

        Hi Alex! I have no idea - sorry. I'm not a trained nutritionist. The nutrition info is automatically calculated based on 1/6 of the recipe, and it's designed to be a general estimate. If you need to know the exact info for health reasons, I recommend weighing the food and plugging the ingredients you're using into something like My Fitness Pal.

        Reply
    2. Amanda Holan says

      August 25, 2020 at 7:49 AM

      how many calories is this?

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        August 25, 2020 at 9:49 AM

        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.

        Reply
    3. Zara says

      August 13, 2020 at 7:36 AM

      How many days can you leave this in the fridge before it go off?

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        August 13, 2020 at 9:07 AM

        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.

        Reply
    4. Charlotte Dunaj says

      August 11, 2020 at 2:01 PM

      5 stars
      Use this as a base and then add or remove stuff to suit. Always well received x

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        August 12, 2020 at 8:28 AM

        Wonderful! 🙂

        Reply
    5. CRI says

      June 28, 2020 at 10:06 PM

      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! 😋😋

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        June 29, 2020 at 9:37 AM

        You're very welcome!! Love your additions!

        Reply
    6. CY says

      October 3, 2019 at 1:01 PM

      Planning to make this tonight without the tuna. Why no?

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        October 4, 2019 at 10:33 AM

        Lol I guess?

        Reply
    7. Kathy says

      September 2, 2019 at 9:03 AM

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        September 2, 2019 at 10:30 AM

        Yay I am so happy you like it! Your modifications sound delish.

        Reply
    8. Dave says

      August 30, 2019 at 1:34 PM

      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 !

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        August 31, 2019 at 1:24 PM

        Yay!! So glad to hear it! Thanks, Dave.

        Reply
    9. Sarah Allen says

      June 25, 2019 at 6:13 PM

      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?

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        June 27, 2019 at 9:12 AM

        I think that would work well, Sarah! It does tend to dry out a bit the longer you leave the dressing on.

        Reply
    10. Karly says

      May 26, 2019 at 5:25 PM

      Yum! This looks so delicious!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        May 26, 2019 at 7:46 PM

        Thanks, Karly!!

        Reply
    11. Paula Gouveia says

      May 20, 2019 at 1:11 AM

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        May 20, 2019 at 3:19 PM

        Yay I am so happy you like my recipes! Greetings from Canada. 🙂

        Reply
    12. Faith says

      May 15, 2019 at 6:48 PM

      5 stars
      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! 🙂

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        May 15, 2019 at 7:00 PM

        I am so happy you liked it, Faith!!! 💕

        Reply
    13. Natasha's Sister says

      May 14, 2019 at 9:08 AM

      5 stars
      How about you just make this for our picnic without tuna??

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        May 14, 2019 at 10:24 AM

        No.

        Reply

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