Cold Tuna Pasta Salad is a delicious dish to take to your next potluck or barbecue. Friends will be impressed and go back for seconds with this easy Tuna Salad Recipe.
Don't turn your nose up to this Cold Pasta Salad Recipe until you try it. I'm telling you, it's a favorite for a reason. Choosing the best Mayo does make a difference here too.
With the sweet, savory, crunchy, and soft all mixed together in every bite, you’ll want to go back for more, storing leftovers is never a problem because I rarely have any left.
The ingredients for this recipe are pantry staple items with a few fresh ingredients. This is an easy pasta salad to whip up last minute if needed.
If you’ve ever been invited somewhere to eat just a few hours (or day in advance) you know what I mean.
While this Tuna Pasta Salad Recipe is incredible, another great dish to take with you is my Mac Salad Recipe! Perfect for when you don’t have that can of tuna on hand. Or make the best of both worlds and take a bowl of each with you!
What's in Tuna Pasta Salad?
- 8oz Pasta Shells
- 2 ½ Cup Chicken Broth
- ½ Cup Mayonnaise
- ¼ Cup Sour Cream
- 1 Tbs White Vinegar
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- 1 Albacore Tuna Drained
- 1 Cup Peas - Frozen
- ⅓ Cup Celery Diced
- ⅓ Cup Red Onion Diced
Additional add ins:
- 2 Hard Boiled Eggs
- 2 Tbs Pickle Relish
How to make Tuna Pasta Salad
- Place your uncooked pasta and chicken broth in an Instant Pot / Electric Pressure Cooker.
- Set it to Manual / Pressure and Cook on High for 5 minutes with a 5 minute natural release.
- Rinse and Drain the Pasta under cold water and then set aside.
- Rinse and Drain the Frozen Peas and then set aside.
- In a separate bowl combine the Mayonnaise, Sour Cream, White Vinegar, Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder.
- In a large bowl combine cooked Pasta, Diced Celery, diced Red Onion, and Peas and Tuna
- And toss the Ingredients together.
- Add the mayonnaise mixture to the other ingredients, stirring to combine.
- Chill the pasta salad in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
- Stir before serving.
How to Store Tuna Pasta Salad
You can keep your tuna pasta salad in a bowl in the fridge. Just make sure to cover the top with plastic wrap so that it doesn’t dry out and that it stays nice and fresh.
What goes with Tuna Pasta Salad?
Tuna pasta salad goes great with just about anything! Think of your favorite barbecue dishes and side dishes and you’ll probably come up with a huge list of options.
Can I lose weight eating Tuna Salad?
Losing weight depends on a lot of variables. This dish is great and packs a lot of vegetables and some protein into every bite. When paired well with a healthy lifestyle and a diet full of healthy varieties, it could promote some weight loss.
As a dish on its own, it shouldn’t be thought of as a magical side dish that results in weight loss.
What can I substitute for Mayonnaise in Tuna Pasta Salad?
If you don’t want to use mayonnaise in your tuna salad, you can substitute it for plain Greek yogurt as a healthy alternative. It won’t taste exactly the same but it is really good and better for you that way.
What Brand Mayo is Best?
Using a quality Mayonnaise makes all the difference. I personally prefer Best Foods or Hellmann's Mayo.
Why I use my Instant Pot
Of course you can cook Pasta on the Stove. It works and it's easy. I choose to use my Instant Pot or Electric Pressure Cooker because I can set it and forget it.
Do you know how many chores I can accomplish in a short time that I'm not watching the stove? A LOT!
The Instant Pot allows me to set the pasta and walk away. I get perfectly cooked pasta every time without thinking about it.
Pot Luck BBQ's
We've all been invited to a Pot Luck and there is an instant fear of "what to bring?". More importantly bringing a dish that everyone will love or bare minumum at least eat. Am I right?
There isn't much worse that going home with a dish that no one cared for. Okay, maybe being that guy who just brought chips! But you get the idea.
Pot Luck Salads are a big deal but I've got you covered with Tried, Tested, and True Pot Luck Salad Recipes that are Neighborhood Approved.
- Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
- Grandma’s Potato Salad ~ One reader commented he won 1st place with this Potato Salad Recipe
- Loaded Baked Potato Salad –
- Pistachio Fluff Salad
- Southwest Pasta Salad
- BBQ Ranch Pasta Salad
- Dorito Taco Salad
- Pepperoni Pasta Salad
- Orange Fluff Salad
- Macaroni Salad
Tuna Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 8 oz Pasta Shells
- 2 ½ cup Chicken Broth
- ½ cup Mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Sour Cream
- 1 tablespoon White Vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 can Albacore Tuna Drained
- 1 cup Frozen Peas
- ⅓ cup Celery - Diced
- ⅓ cup Red Onion Diced
Additional Topping Ideas
- 2 Hard Boiled Eggs
- 2 tablespoon Pickle Relish
Instructions
- Place pasta and chicken broth in Instant Pot / Electric Pressure Cooker.
- Set to Manual / Pressure Cook High for 5 minutes with a 5 minute natural release.
- Rinse and Drain Pasta under cold water and set aside.
- Rinse and Drain Frozen Peas and set aside.
- In a separate bowl combine Mayonnaise, Sour Cream, White Vinegar, Salt, Pepper and Garlic Powder.
- In a large bowl combine cooked Pasta, Diced Celery, diced Red Onion, and Peas and Tuna.
- Toss Ingredients.
- Add mayonnaise mixture to ingredients. Stir to combine.
- Chill in refrigerator for at least an hour.
- Stir before serving.
Nutrition Disclaimer
All nutrition values are approximate and calculated by a plugin and are provided as a courtesy. Adding or subtracting ingredients will change the nutritional value.
W Nichols
I used to love this 70 years ago when my mom made it. I use all listed ingredients but do not use chicken broth. I always add small can sliced black olives
Devour Dinner
Hi! Tuna pasta salad is always a great recipe as there is so many variations that can be done. I love cooking pasta in chicken broth because it adds so much flavor to the pasta.
Colleen
Excellent! As a variation I use 2 cans of tuna, 1/2 tsp crumbled tarragon and Old Bay Seasoning.
Devour Dinner
So glad you enjoyed it Colleen!
Lily Yee
This is easy and so quick. My husband loves it.
Danny
Made this last night and my teenage son and boyfriend gobbled it up. Super easy and delicious. This definitely earned its place on our menu. Thank you for sharing!
Devour Dinner
Hey Danny! So happy to hear this. My boys have loved this salad too and you are right, it's super easy too!