The Cozy Cookbook is here! 
This creamy Tuna Pasta Salad recipe is served with macaroni, eggs, celery, onions, peas, and of course- tuna fish. This makes an easy lunch, snack, or side dish that is pulled straight from the fridge and served cold!
Be sure to try my Italian Pasta Salad Recipe next!
Tuna Pasta Salad
I wish that I had created this recipe years ago, because it is a major life saver in the summer months when you have a hungry family bopping around. My husband just hopped off the lawn mower and this is my new favorite protein-packed snack to give him. (He even loves having it for dinner!)
It also makes a great lunch to pack up for work, school, camping, road trips, etc. 😁
Be sure to browse through all of my pasta salad recipes!
How to Make It (Summary)
Note: **See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Combine dressing ingredients and set in the fridge to chill.
- Boil macaroni in salted water until just al dente and rinse with cold water. Drain well.
- Combine pasta, tuna, celery, onions, peas, hard boiled eggs, and toss with the dressing.
- Transfer to a clean serving dish and garnish with paprika and/or diced green onions.
- Chill for 4 hours prior to serving.
Pro Tips
- Drain the tuna very well to prevent the tuna salad from becoming watery.
- Drain the pasta very well as well and rinse it until completely cooled.
- If you have older eggs, use those as they’re easier to peel. You can also add ½ teaspoon baking soda to the water if using fresh eggs, which will help with peeling as well.
- Chopped bacon makes a great garnish for this as well.
Make-Ahead Method
- This can be made 1-day ahead of time.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish just before serving so that you can stir it first.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- Colander– For draining the pasta. This is the one I have!
- Large glass serving bowl– I love having these 3 to pick from based on what I’m serving.
- Silicone Spatula– Makes it easy to gently combine the ingredients.
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Tried This Recipe?
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Tuna Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- ¾ lb. macaroni
- 3 (5 oz.) cans tuna packed in water, drained well.
- 2 celery sticks, finely diced
- ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, see notes
- ¾ cup frozen peas, thawed
Dressing:
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup yellow mustard
- 1/4 cup sweet relish
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon celery salt
- ¾ teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 pinch cayenne, optional
Optional Garnishes
- Pinch paprika
- Diced green onions
Instructions
- Combine dressing ingredients and set in the fridge to chill.
- Boil macaroni in salted water until just al dente, about 7 minutes (verify time on package).
- Drain and rinse with cold water until the water on the bottom of the colander comes through cold. Drain as much of the water as possible, (I lay my macaroni on a dry dish towel).
- Cut the hard-boiled eggs into pieces of desired size, reserve some to garnish on top if desired.
- Add the pasta, dressing, and all remaining ingredients to a large bowl. Use a silicone spatula to gently stir until evenly combined. Transfer to a clean serving dish.
- Garnish with green onions and paprika.
- Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours or up to overnight. The pasta will absorb more of the dressing during this time. Serve!
Notes
- Submerge the eggs in 2 inches of cool water in a pot on the stove-top.
- Gradually bring them to a boil.
- Once the boil is reached, cover the pot and remove them from the heat.
- Let them sit for 12 minutes.
- Place them in a colander and rinse them under cool running water to stop the cooking process. Then peel and dice.
Pro Tips: • Drain the tuna very well to prevent the tuna salad from becoming watery.
• If you have older eggs, use those as they’re easier to peel. You can also add ½ teaspoon baking soda to the water if using fresh eggs, which will help with peeling as well.
• Chopped bacon makes a great garnish for this as well.
Make-Ahead Method
- This can be made 1-day ahead of time.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish just before serving so that you can stir it first.
The Nutritional Information shared is an estimate and is per cup. This recipe makes approximately 13 cups.
This is so delicious! I have to get to it before my husband eats it all.
Ohhh I’m SO happy to hear that!! Husbands do tend to love this one, I speak from experience! You’re the best Dina, thank you so much for the review!! -Stephanie 💗
Will be making this week but do not like tuna so I will use chicken instead.
That will work perfectly, I’d love to know what you think of it!
My tuna mac salad was good with just mayo and s&p, but your dressing is à game changer. Perfect for a main dish or for a side on a hot summer day.
Hi Tracy! I’m so happy that this recipe kicked things up a notch for you! Wahoooo!! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, you’re the best! -Stephanie