Tuna and pasta salad, a simple but delicious cold pasta salad. Ideal to prepare and the leftovers are also great for lunch. The perfect summer meal!

Cold pasta salads

When I think of a summer meal, I always think of a rich, fresh, cold pasta salad. Delicious as a light meal with a baguette or tasty focaccia, or as a classic side dish at a barbecue or summer picnic.

Pasta salads are incredibly versatile, the base is always pasta, vegetables and maybe some herbs, like fresh dill, parsley or basil. You can add a protein such as chicken or fish, just like this tuna and pasta salad. If you want to keep it vegetarian (or even vegan) you can add chickpeas, tofu or even plant based tuna. The possibilities are endless!

Delicious tuna salad with pasta

Now, for this classic recipe for tuna and pasta salad I have kept things quite simple with a perfect balance of flavors. A handful of fresh vegetables like cherry tomatoes, olives, dill pickles, red onion and flaky tuna in a ridiculously simple creamy dressing made with good ol’ mayonnaise and the oil from the tuna fish.

Add it all to a large bowl, combine with some salt, pepper and parsley and you’re done! Sometimes, the simplest recipes are the best. It sure is in this case 😉.

Creamy tuna pasta salad recipe

The great thing about this pasta salad is that it’s ready in just 20 (!) minutes! You can cook the pasta al dente in salted water beforehand, just make sure it’s cooled down properly. My advice is to rinse it in cold water after draining to speed up the cooling process.

You can also make the whole salad ahead of time so the flavors can soak in and you can eat it the next day or whenever you want. This creamy pasta salad is the perfect meal prep-meal!

This tuna and pasta salad is filled with simple ingredients such as canned albacore tuna in oil, cherry tomatoes and red onion, among other things. To make it extra delicious and creamy you dress the salad with mayonnaise. You can add Greek yogurt, lemon juice or extra olive oil to your dressing if you prefer. Delicious, fresh and easy!

A great recipe for tuna and pasta salad

It’s save to say that this tuna pasta salad has quickly become a favorite in our household. Ideal to make in big batches so the whole family can enjoy it during the week or when you’re serving a crowd.

You are absolutely free to add more components if you want. Some red bell pepper, green peas, hard-boiled eggs, green onions or sweet relish would work really well in this perfect pasta salad.

By the way, the recipe below is for 2 people if you are serving the tuna and pasta salad as a main course. If you serve it as a side dish, you can easily enjoy it with at least 4 people 😉.